Mine
by Curiositykils
Summary: Veela Fic set Ten Years after the War. Draco is a Veela. Hermione isn't his Healer. She's just his. Update Chapter 25: 26/07/13
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione was taking a rare moment of peace and quiet in the Healer's room when she heard an emergency announcement resonate outside the closed door. Pausing from reading the paper, she shuffled around in her Healers's robes and shifted to see if any message had popped up on her beeper.

Her gaze was met with the blank grey face of the beeper and she quickly dropped it back into her pocket and resumed reading the front page story of the Prophet.

There had been another arrest and Hermione felt a wave of anger and disgust towards the arrestee. In her mind, any of the people that had been arrested in the latest sting by the Ministry deserved everything they would face in Azkaban. She hoped they were all locked up for the remainder of their lives.

They were no better than the animals they claimed their test subjects to be. How they could call themselves Healers and the saviours of the Wizarding World she had no idea. She out of anyone in Wizarding London had no love for any witch or wizard with the Dark Mark on their arm but even they didn't deserve what had happened to them.

At the thought, an uneasy feeling swept through her body, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. It had been ten years since the War and even though she could have never known what had been happening in the depths of Azkaban, she somehow felt as if she _should_ have known.

She _should_ have been able to do something. Anything to help.

But no-one had known. And no-one had done anything. At least until ten years had passed and some members of the Wizengamot had gone to Azkaban to set free the Death Eaters who had completed their sentence- only to find them missing from their cells.

At first there had been a mass panic. When the papers had picked up on the situation, they had written hysterical story after hysterical story on this supposed mass outbreak which no-one had known anything about.

And then Kingsley had launched a deeper inquiry and the mess had started unravelling. The five Death Eaters originally thought to be missing weren't the only ones. There were dozens of witches and wizards unaccounted for- their cells lying empty.

The panic had then worsened.

And then a few weeks later an underground laboratory had been found by the Aurors and what they saw could only be described as something out of a Muggle horror film.

The corrupt Healers may have spouted out repeated protests on how they were helping the Wizarding World but even the folk who held the deepest hatred for Death Eaters had been struck still at what had been happening to them all these years.

And then came the horrible realisation that someone must have been funding these rogue labs. Attention had turned to the Ministry, in particular the Minister for Magic and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Denial had been the word of the day- and then it had all blurted out.

The Senior Undersecretary and the Head of the Department. One's reasons for her actions had been revenge, the other wizard's reason had been his anger.

Hermione too had been saddened to realise how far Voldemort had gone to build his army. She knew he had approached the giants from what Hagrid had told them but it had soon come to light that he had tried to buy favours from the proud vampire community, the cursed werewolf community, the fierce centaur community and he had even tried to coax the alluring Veela community into doing his bidding.

Anyone who refused had been deemed as resistant and dealt with accordingly. Numbers of each group had fallen dramatically.

But the fact that these horrible people had been using the prisoners as test subjects to see if they would be able to combine human genes with the genes of these magical creatures…it was awful.

What was more awful was that over the ten years, they had somehow perfected the art and had been successful in their experiments. Hermione dreaded knowing what the prisoners had gone through- what their bodies had been put through.

The Healers and scientists hadn't bothered using safe, pain free practices as they would have in St Mungo's. Oh no- Death Eaters deserved what they supposedly got. And what they got over the years was torture plain and simple. Regardless of what spin anyone tried to place on it.

The first underground laboratory that Kingsley had found had housed four prisoners. All four had been whisked off to a secure ward on St Mungo's which now held more protective wards and safety measures than Gringotts itself.

A select staff comprising of some of the most trusted members of the hospital had been selected to treat the patients and their jobs became known as the New Unspeakables. Each of them had already taken a vow to protect and heal patients but that day- they took another vow, an Unbreakable Vow.

The only people who knew what went on behind the doors of the secure Ward were a mere three Healers, two nurses and one receptionist. Everyone else was left to their own speculation. And Merlin did they speculate. In fact, speculation was the order of the day and had been for the last four months.

More so when lab after lab was uncovered and the number of patients on Ward 17 rose.

Hermione's curiosity was killing her, just like every other member of staff in St Mungo's. She had heard more than most- whispers that one of the original prisoners hadn't survived, that the ward now held a mixture of wolves, vampires and if the rumours were to be believed, a male Veela.

Most were responsive, responding well to treatment but some were still in comas. All were damaged- not just physically…but mentally. As head of the Auror Department, Kingsley and his team which included Harry and Ron had been the ones to retrieve the prisoners from the lab. Harry and Ron had gone on two early operations and they had told her stories…unofficially of course. The prisoners hadn't just been angry- they'd been rabid- powerful and strong, their actions fuelled with adrenaline and the potions the Healers and scientists had been using on them.

According to Ron, they had been more like animals than people. At first Hermione hadn't believed him, knowing his tendency to over exaggerate and his deep hatred of the Death Eaters. But then she'd turned to Harry and when he didn't say anything to deny it- she'd known it to be true.

And her disgust had deepened. Along with a slow inner burning in her gut that she needed to do something to help.

And so when two rare job vacancies had opened up for the ward, Hermione had put forward her application. She hadn't expected to get the position, after all she was still a relative baby at the hospital, having only been working there for five years after she graduated from Healer school but she had been shocked when her application had been accepted.

And so in two day's time, she was going to be one of the few to enter the doors to the secluded ward. She couldn't wait to get started- not just to help the patients but she also couldn't help but be fascinated about the patient's new abilities.

She was drawn out of her musings when the door to the lounge opened and the harsh light of the corridor shone into the dim room. She watched her friend and colleague walk in and make her way over to the coffee pot.

"Hey." Hermione said.

"He-hmm." She received in reply as the evidently tired witch took in her first gulp of coffee and savoured it.

Hermione smiled as she resumed reading the story in the paper. The chair opposite her made a slight screech as it was pulled back before her friend sat down.

"Long day?" Hermione asked curiously.

She got a long look in reply. "You don't know the half of it. It's been crazy- and it's set to get worse. I can't wait until my shift is over."

Hermione smiled. "Only four more hours to go!"

"Ugh, don't remind me! I hate working nights!" came the common complaint.

"Ditto." Hermione replied.

"But hey- at least in two days we'll get to work together."

Hermione's smile widened. Padma had been very lucky indeed. She had been on duty as the nurse in charge of Ward 17 when the first set of prisoners had been brought there and as such, she had been kept on to work in the ward ever since then. One of the lucky few.

Despite how close their friendship was, Hermione had never asked Padma on any information about the ward, despite how much she burned to know about it. In return, Padma being the professional she was, had kept her patient's confidentiality in all areas. But Hermione had noticed a slight change in the witch's tone when she talked about her work over the last few weeks. It had coincided with another set of patients being admitted to the ward and Hermione had no clue how to help her friend when she had no idea on what was wrong or what had happened.

Hesitantly, she tried to bring up the subject once more. "How are things going? Good?…Are you okay?"

Padma's entire body jolted at the last question and the palm that wasn't wrapped around her mug came to jerk up to her throat where it hovered slightly before she ran her fingers over her pulse. Hermione's eyes narrowed at the strange movement and when she flicked her eyes back up to meet the other witch's, they widened as if she'd been caught red- handed and the arm quickly dropped back down to the table with a thud.

"I'm fine. Just stressed."

Hermione didn't believe the casual brush off but she kept that to herself. Another announcement went off and both witches dug around for their beepers. Hermione's showed a blank grey face once more.

"Emergency." Padma said as she looked at the face of her own beeper. She lifted her eyes off the small black object. "There was another rescue operation tonight. This time there were eight Death Eaters."

Hermione's eyes widened at the words. "Eight?! There's never been that many in one go before."

Padma had a frown on her face as she continued studying her beeper. Hermione felt sympathy for her friend. It looked like her break was about to be cut short. She voiced the thought aloud.

Padma's eyebrows lifted. "I'm not the only one. They can't handle all the new patients. Drink up. Your start date just got moved up."

Hermione sat up in surprise. Ignoring her mug of coffee, she quickly waved it over to the sink where it was joined with Padma's.

The two witches then hurriedly made their way to Ward 17.

ooo

Hermione hadn't known what to expect from her first day at the new ward but being dropped straight into the deep end was not it. As soon as she cleared the security and stepped through the doors, the loud cacophony hit her ears.

Roars from the new patients, and some of the old, deafened her ears along with the many shouts of the Aurors and the Healers who seemed to have not yet subdued the patients in order to assess them.

Hermione followed Padma into the chaotic crowd, her eyes wide as they took in everything happening around her. She focused on a bed in the distance and studied the man who was reclining in it with his eyes closed. As she neared, ready to walk past him, the man's eyes opened and his head twisted towards her with an odd movement. Hermione couldn't contain her gasp as she caught sight of the red blood eyes staring back at her, following her movements as she came closer to him.

_Werewolf. _

Padma didn't seem to notice anything unusual about this and Hermione swallowed the nervous energy about to erupt from her throat.

And then when she was about to walk past the foot of the bed the wizard erupted. In one strong fluid movement, he leaped into the air and knocked into her. Surprised, Hermione staggered backwards and fell to the floor, a short scream seeming to break the air around her.

Her head banged against the floor and painful stars erupted behind her closed eyes. Through thudding ears, she could hear hurrying footsteps making their way over to her but her eyes couldn't seem to move away from the face of the wizard hovering over her.

She remembered Remus's transformation from her third year and watched in shock as the man's features begin to morph. His eyes dilated, his teeth changed from blunt human teeth to the pointed ones of a canine and his nose became slightly longer, its end rounding.

And then the transformation stopped. There was no fur erupting from skin, no saliva dripping from teeth and no bones cracking. The result was a picture of a human with strange looking features and Hermione couldn't find herself being able to look away from him.

And then she felt something sharp, fingernails that were shaped into claws, come up to swipe at the collar of her Healer's robes. Her eyes widened in fear, another terrified scream escaping her mouth, when the man-wolf lowered his head slightly and started sniffing her.

It only lasted for a few seconds before a spell from someone's wand hit the man-wolf on the side and he let out a pained howl. His head whipped in the direction the spell had come from and Hermione's head turned to follow.

She saw both Padma's and an Auror's wand outstretched in front of their bodies. The man-wolf growled in anger from above her.

"Stay still Healer Granger. He recognises the colour of your robes as the ones the rogue Healers wore. He thinks you're one of them." She heard a voice say from the other side of her.

_Dear Merlin. _

"James…look at me. This is Healer Granger, she is a good Healer. She's here to help you all. She won't hurt you. She _won't_ hurt you."

The man-wolf turned his attention back to her.

Hermione continued staring up at him, her mouth too dry to speak.

His head cocked in another strange fluid movement and then he began descending again. Her uncooperative throat let out an incoherent squeak.

"Healer Granger! Please remain calm. He's trying to see if he can smell any traces of the potions they used on the patients in the rogue labs. James- it's okay. This is Healer Granger. She's going to be working in the ward from now on. She's a good Healer."

"Oh Merlin, do something!" she heard Padma cry.

And then another spell hit "James's" side. Another howl resonated through the air and energy seemed to crackle in the room. James's head whipped back around to the side and this time he didn't wait before attacking.

Hermione gasped as she quickly twisted her neck, her eyes fixed on the bulky back muscles of James as he ran towards where Padma and the Auror had been standing. Her mouth opened in a warning when she felt a rush of air whoosh over her. It took her more than a moment to realise that it had been a wizard. Said wizard jumped into the air until he was stood in front of James. Grabbing Padma by the waist, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing and in another burst of fast speed, he flew towards the entrance and placed her safely behind a wall of Aurors.

When he turned around, Hermione gasped in recognition. She knew who he was…and what he was.

His dark black eyes, elongated teeth and sharp cheekbones attested to that.

_Vampire. _

_Dear Merlin. _

He spoke in a commanding voice. "James. Desist. We are not to hurt the humans who are healing us."

A pang hit Hermione's chest as she realised he no longer thought of himself as human. But he was right- wasn't he? He wasn't fully human anymore.

_What had she just signed herself up for?_

James growled in frustration. "They are keeping us here. When are we going to get the justice they promised us?"

"You know what Auror Shacklebolt said. They are dealing with them."

Another loud roar. "It isn't good enough."

"Calm yourself. Our friends need help right now. They need the Healer's attention. They need to focus. No more of our family will die."

His words seemed to settle James back down. His body limped as the tautness of his muscles lessened and a collective breath seemed to be taken from everyone in the room.

Realising that she was still lying prone on the floor, Hermione sat up, her arms coming out to support her as her vision swam slightly. Her right palm swiped on a piece of glass but the sting barely registered as she squeezed her eyes together to clear her head.

A prickle on the nape of her head and an awareness settling over her caused her to open her eyes before she was fully ready. She looked around nervously and realised that every single eye was trained on her. Correction- every single pair of eyes belonging to the patients who weren't in comas.

Her gut began screaming at her and she slowly got to her feet, making sure not to make any sudden movements.

_Something was wrong. _

Slowly she turned back to face James and Zabini. Both werewolf and vampire were staring at her fixatedly and a second later, James's long sniff of air was audible throughout the room. His eyes narrowed on her hand and Hermione closed it into a fist. Feeling the wet feeling in the palm of her hand, she looked down and opened the fist to see a small pool of blood gathering there.

Her body tensing, she looked back up at James and Zabini and took a step back unconsciously.

"Blood." She heard Zabini spit out in a choked voice.

There were gasps around her, one very loud voice letting out an expletive before all hell broke loose. She watched James coming towards her in an oddly slow motion and in her haste to get away, her legs tangled with something behind her and she fell on her arse.

Bright lights of Stupefy spells being shot across the ward stunned her eyes and she looked wildly around for her wand.

It had rolled out of her robes when she'd fallen the first time and now lay at the wheels of the bed close to her. She immediately twisted her body and lunged for it. Her fingers closed around the handle when a feral cry rose from the occupant of the bed she was next to.

A body soared out of the bed and Hermione watched in horror as black wings erupted out of the man's back. Pale skin sliced open along his shoulder blades and the wings unfurled to their full width before they were used to push the incoming werewolf away from her.

A dark rough voice spoke and said one single word.

"_Mine." _

Everyone in the room, Auror, Healer and patient alike had now turned their attention from her to the man standing in front of her.

From the floor, Hermione stared up at him too. And then he turned and she gasped in, her mouth open and closing numerous times with no words coming out.

"Malfoy?" she whispered as she looked into his oddly darkened eyes. His gaze ran slowly from the bottom of her trainers to the top of her head before he looked back at her eyes.

"My mate. _Mine._" He said in an ominously possessive tone.

Hermione froze.

_Oh dear Merlin. _

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_Author's Note: So here it is. The idea that's been annoying me when I should be concentrating on other things. Like I've mentioned on my profile page- I struggled of whether to update this first chapter because unlike usual, I don't have the full story plotted out in my head and I have no idea where the story is heading. So I'd love to know what you think so far? Well that's it for now. As always thank you very much for reading and until next time (or not!), Curiositykils. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione scrambled upwards, her fist tightly enclosed around the handle of her wand, ready to spout out a defensive spell should it come to that.

She couldn't take her eyes off Malfoy. After what he had supposedly been through she would have imagined that his body would be skeletal with starvation.

But it wasn't. Dear Merlin, it most certainly wasn't. Rope after rope of tight muscle made up his stomach before it expanded upwards to form a broad chest. And he was tall! Taller than she remembered him being!

And his wings, _dear Merlin he had wings_! They were still fully outstretched and her view of the rest of the room's occupants was limited. But the few faces that she could still see were staring dumbly at the silky black/blue feathers of the creature standing in front of her.

Dear Merlin- _what had they done to Malfoy?_

She swallowed the bile rising in the throat and looked at the Auror's. Why weren't they doing anything? Merlin- even they were struck still.

Unconsciously, her hand came out in front of her and she took a slow step backwards. Her eyes flicked up nervously to meet Malfoy's unnerving fixated stare and then they refused to move. The pale grey, malicious gaze she remembered from Hogwarts had disappeared and his eyes looked alien being the dark colour they were now.

She gasped in a tight breath of air and took another careful step backwards. At the movement, Malfoy's head cocked to the side, his forehead furrowing to form a confused frown.

"Nice Malfoy." Hermione found herself whispering mentally in the hopes she wouldn't be attacked again. "You don't want to hurt me." She whispered out loud without realising it.

"Never hurt my Mate!" came the growling response and Hermione froze.

From behind the massive expanse of Malfoy's wings, she heard an Auror speak. "What's going on? You said he was unresponsive!" He stated to someone in an accusing tone.

The Healer that had tried to calm James earlier spoke, "I-I… he was! It's been months since his rescue and he's been unresponsive ever since. I-I don't know what's happening."

"Hermione…are you okay?" she heard Padma say in a worried voice.

Keeping her eyes fixed on Malfoy, Hermione found herself only being able to nod her head up and down. She heard a set of footsteps come closer to the two of them.

"Draco, my brother." she heard Zabini say. She watched Malfoy's eyes narrow at the voice but he didn't flinch or waver his stare from hers. "You're safe now." Zabini continued. "Retract your wings so the Healers can see to you."

A rumbling emitted from Malfoy's throat. "Protect my Mate." He said stiltedly.

Zabini froze in his tracks for a short second before he crept forward. "Nothing will harm your Mate here. She's safe."

"Werewolf." came the snarling reply and for the first time, Hermione caught sight of the altered teeth in Malfoy's mouth. Much like what she had seen in Zabini's, the incisors had lengthened before tapering off into a sharp point.

She shivered and drew back further, holding her wand steady.

"Hurt _my Mate_." Malfoy continued.

Hermione looked down to where Malfoy's gaze had turned and saw a thin rivulet of blood trailing from her wound. Kicking her brain into gear, she quickly spoke a healing spell and watched the skin knit together painlessly. A Tergeo spell later and the blood had disappeared entirely.

A warm, pleasing rumble came from Malfoy's throat. In the next second, his massive wings whispered as they folded back behind him and Hermione sighed in relief as her view of the rest of the room was unobstructed. She watched a Healer step forward, his wise, gentle eyes hesitant as he approached Malfoy.

"Mr Malfoy. My name is Healer Johnson. You are in St Mungo's Hospital. You were rescued from the underground laboratory three months ago and have been in a coma ever since. How are you feeling?"

There was no response.

"Mr Malfoy? Are you well?"

Again, there was no response.

"Mr Malfoy. I need you to respond to my questions. If not I'm afraid we will need to restrain you."

"Draco…" she heard Zabini say warningly.

There was silence for a few long seconds before an Auror stepped forward. Shooting a Stupefy spell from the tip of his wand, it headed straight towards Malfoy. With a burst of inhumane speed, similar to that shown by the werewolf and vampire earlier, Malfoy dodged the spell immediately and easily.

The wings that had just folded back down outstretched once more and Malfoy darted towards her. Hermione threw her arms out in front of her in protection before she felt herself being lifted completely off her feet. She opened her eyes in surprise, only to find herself staring into Malfoy's chest as his massive wings and body curved around her…cocooning and protecting her. And then he let out an angry squawk that nearly split her eardrums.

"Tried to hurt my Mate." He roared causing Hermione to tremble in his hold. She shifted, trying to dislodge her trapped arm so she could use her wand but it was to no avail.

Multiple expletives were said before once again, chaos reigned. All Hermione saw was the pale expanse of skin on Malfoy's chest as he held her to his torso tightly.

From the flashes of bright lights coming through the surprisingly soft wings, Hermione saw the spells hitting Malfoy's wings but he barely grunted at each impact, much less fell to the floor under the effects of the spell. _Why wasn't he being stunned? _

As the attack against him continued, his hold against her tightened and Hermione gasped in a tight breath of air as she felt her ribs being crushed. She let out a small sound and a choked "Can't breathe."

Malfoy's head darted down to hers and the hold around her immediately loosened. A forlorn sound emitted from his mouth and when Hermione was free to look up at him, his head was once more cocked to the side in confusion.

"Hurt…my Mate?"

Hermione found herself shaking her head rapidly before it kicked in that her arm was now free. Lifting it, she aimed the point towards Malfoy and whispered Stupefy. The last thing she saw was his eyes darken further, the emotion reflecting in them turning from confusion to stark fury.

"Betray!" He roared- so loudly that Hermione had to clap her palms around her ears before she watched his eyes close and his body fall to the floor with a thud.

In the immediate aftermath, silence ran out along the room.

Hermione breathed in heavily. Suffice to say, her first day had not started off as she had hoped.

ooo

Once Malfoy's stupefied body was levitated back to his bed, the Auror's and Healers managed to calm the remainder of the occupants in the room. Throughout this, Hermione remained still, her back leaning against the wall that was propping her upright.

Her vision of Malfoy's prone body was broken when Padma hurried over to her. "Oh Merlin, Hermione are you okay? I-I don't know what happened. Malfoy's been in a coma for three months! He wasn't responding to anything we did, I don't know what just happened." She explained quickly.

Despite her buzzing brain, Hermione faced her friend. "I'm fine." She said automatically. "It was just a shock. I'll be fine."

Padma turned her head slightly and gave Malfoy's body an uneasy look. Her eyes then flicked upwards to the cold eyes of Zabini who was looking at Padma with a blank expression over his haunting features. Padma swallowed before turning her back to him and tugging on Hermione's hand.

"Come on. We can't talk here."

Hermione followed her blindly. "Really Padma, I'm fine. We need to help with the new patients."

"Healer Johnson has called in Healer Ryan. He was due to start with you on Wednesday. They'll manage."

Hermione shook her head to clear it. "No. Really. I'm fine. We're here to do a job."

Padma turned and dropped her hand before scanning Hermione's face. "Okay…but if you need a break- take one."

Hermione smiled with a determined nod. "Let's get to work."

And so they did.

ooo

Three hours later and dawn was beginning to break. Hermione sat down in a chair in the Nurse's station tiredly, her aching legs thanking her for relieving them of any pressure. It had taken three hours but at least they had managed to regain control of the ward once again. All the new patients had been seen to and the already admitted patients had calmed down once they grew used to her presence and saw she wasn't going to harm them.

Although just to be on the safe side, she had kept a few feet away from James's, Zabini's and Malfoy's beds. Despite this, she hadn't been able to stop her eyes from flicking over to the latter's body every quarter of an hour, as if expecting him to leap back out of his bed again.

But his condition never changed, even after the Stupefy spell was reversed. For now it seemed, Malfoy had slipped back into his coma.

Hermione ran her fingers through the tangled knot in her hair. She couldn't believe it. An actual male Veela! Yes she had heard the rumours before coming to work on the ward but seeing one first hand had not been like anything she could have possibly imagined.

And the fact that it was _Malfoy!_ She had once found a book on the Malfoy lineage in the library at Hogwarts and it had made for some very interesting bedtime reading. She knew one of his ancestors had been a female Veela but through the generations, the blood had filtered out through each subsequent marriage.

Merlin- what had happened to bring a male Veela about? How had the rogue scientists done it?

The questions refused to leave her mind and in the end, she felt the beginning of a headache rear its ugly head.

"Healer Granger."

Hermione looked up to see Healer Johnson stood above her. Throughout the last few hours, she had come to the conclusion that the wizard was the Head Healer on the ward. She gave him a smile.

"Healer Johnson."

She watched in silence as he pulled up a chair and joined her. "I just wanted to apologise for what happened earlier. It was the first time a new member of staff has been introduced to the patients. I had no idea of how they would react otherwise I wouldn't have asked Nurse Patil to ask you to join us."

Hermione shook her head. "Really- I'm fine. I was just surprised."

"Yes- we had planned on an orientation on Wednesday morning for you and Healer Ryan so you would be more familiar with the patient's…needs and quirks... but with this latest operation…"

"Is Healer Ryan alright?" she asked in concern.

Hermione had been dealing with another patient at the time but out of the corner of her eye, she had seen a small commotion when Healer Ryan had got too close to one of the patient's beds.

"He received five claw marks to the arm but they were healed quickly enough. I believe he's on break right now."

Hermione nodded.

"And you? How are you? I must admit, I've never seen anything like what I saw earlier." Healer Johnson admitted.

Hermione didn't need to ask as to what he was referring to. She gave the older Healer a small smile. "Me neither. I'd heard rumours about a Male Veela but seeing one in the flesh- and for it to be someone I went to Hogwarts with…"

"Yes, Nurse Patil informed me that you and Mr Malfoy were in the same year at Hogwarts."

"Can I ask what you know about what happened to him? I mean, just how…"

Healer Johnson stood from his seat and walked a few steps to retrieve a file which he deposited in front of her. She saw Malfoy's name on the front of it.

"Mr Malfoy's file." He explained unnecessarily. "Go ahead. You're officially a staff member of Ward 17 now. Although seeing how Mr Malfoy has been in a coma ever since he was brought here we haven't been able to ascertain very much I'm afraid."

Hermione opened the folder and skimmed through the sparse notes. It contained copies of various Auror accounts of the operation carried out when Malfoy had been rescued and not very much else apart from basic health notes and the results of routine tests.

"Do you have any idea why he woke up today? Or why he's fallen back into a coma?"

_Or why he kept calling me his Mate?_

"I'm afraid I don't. It's the first activity we've seen from him. I admit, I was looking forward to asking him some questions."

Hermione hmmed in agreement. "Do you think his wings are protective? Would we be able to test his feathers?"

"I had the same idea when I saw the Stupefy spells have no impact. But unfortunately it seems his wings have retracted back into his skin."

"There's no obvious entry or exit points?"

Healer Johnson shook his head. "To be honest, until I saw the wings today, none of us on the ward were aware they even existed."

Hermione sighed. "You said he's non-responsive?"

"Yes."

"Healer Johnson? I need you to check on patient 14. He's complaining of some abdominal pain." Padma said as she walked up to them. "I couldn't pick up on anything on the initial assessment."

Healer Johnson stood from his seat. "The remainder of the patient files are located in the cupboard in the corner. The wards have been changed to allow your wand access. You have an hour before your shift finishes. I advise looking through the remainder of the files- hopefully this way you won't get any nasty surprises on Wednesday."

Hermione nodded her head and watched him walk away.

And following his advice, she spent the next hour looking over all the patients' notes and realising that the torture she had been imagining in her head was nothing compared to the pictures of the injuries taken when the patients first came to the ward.

As she reviewed the folders she realised the ward held a mixture of wolves, vampires, one female Veela and Malfoy. Out of the twenty-one patients now admitted onto the ward, four had made full recoveries so far, James and Zabini included- which begged the question as to why they were still here?

She asked Padma the question when she saw the witch had a few minutes spare. It seemed that the Ministry was unsure as to what to do with the patients. They were unsure of the danger to them if they allowed them to integrate back into the Wizarding World and they were unsure of the danger they would present to the general public in their quest for justice. And so for now, they remained on the ward whilst the Ministry tried to tackle the immediate problem of accounting for all the missing prisoners.

Hermione wondered if it was a delaying tactic. After all, one day soon the Ministry were going to have to make a decision and live with the consequences.

"Hey. Shift's over." Padma said as she wandered over to her.

Hermione sighed in relief. She may have landed the job she had been dreaming about for the last few months but after the last few hours, she was more than ready to apparate home and tumble into her bed.

She spent a few minutes handing over the patients to the other Healer who had been assigned to the ward before grabbing her cardigan.

Unfortunately, the walk to the exit meant having to pass a few beds she'd been careful to stay away from. She gave Malfoy a wide berth, making sure to keep her gaze away from him. Awkwardly, when she looked away from him she accidentally caught the red eyes of James. He was sitting up in bed and he eyed her with a carefully blank stare as she passed him.

Making a mental note to ask Padma about the sleep patterns of the patients seeing how many of them were awake and not looking the least bit tired at all, she quickly looked away from James and walked towards the Aurors standing at the doors.

As she passed the security checks which included a review of all the spells her wand had performed to make sure she hadn't taken any pictures etc., she passed through the doors and waited for Padma.

She watched her colleague go through the checks with an uninterested expression, her gaze unconsciously travelled past Padma's head and back into the ward. Her eyes landed on Zabini and the direct stare he was sending her friend's way. When he caught Hermione watching him, he merely lifted a black eyebrow and slowly turned his head, and his attention, back to the newspaper resting on his lap.

Hmmmm. It seemed she had another question to ask Padma.

ooo

The next day both she and Padma had the day off. The two decided to go home and get some sleep before meeting up at three in Diagon Alley for some breakfast/lunch. Which is why Hermione was sat in the Leaky Cauldron awaiting Padma's arrival.

Nursing a cup of coffee, she studied the menu, already knowing what she was going to order. Comfort food was most definitely in order.

"Hey."

Hermione looked up as Padma settled into the bench opposite her. "Hey." She replied.

Padma scanned her face. "Get a good night's rest?"

Hermione smiled. "Don't you mean a good day's rest?"

Padma waved her hand dismissively. "You know what I meant. I was worried about you. It wasn't the best first day. You haven't changed your mind about working on the ward have you?"

Hermione frowned. "Are you kidding? Of course not. I've been waiting for months to see behind those doors."

"Yeah but I bet your dreams didn't involve being attacked by your patients."

Hermione chuckled. "I could have done without that… but that isn't going to stop me from helping the patients. Why? Who's having second thoughts?"

"Healer Ryan I think. I don't think he expected to be clawed for merely getting too close to a patient's bed."

"Do you think he'll decline the position?"

Padma shrugged. "Maybe he just needs to get some rest and think it over. I think if he did decline he would regret it in the future. There's no way he would be allowed to work in the ward again if he'd declined the job the first time around. Granted, last night was a lot more…lively than it normally is."

"Well that's good to know!"

Padma smiled. "James isn't too bad you know. I don't really talk to him- he tends to keep to himself or with the other wolves...although I've seen him watching me sometimes..." she shook her head to clear it before she continued. "They're just all really angry about what's happened to them. They don't trust strangers easily. He'll be wary of you for a while but he'll settle down. He's got used to the rest of us."

"That's good to know too."

A waiter came over and they both ordered. "Can I ask you about the sleeping patterns of the patients?"

"They tend to sleep for a few hours during the day and remain awake during the night. The female Veela is the opposite though. The others…it has to be because of their altered half but they rarely sleep for more than five hours and they can function normally. Obviously we don't know about Malfoy."

Hermione nodded as Padma continued. "The werewolfs tend to get testy if we try to isolate one from the other so all their beds are close to one another. The vampires aren't as sensitive to sunlight as full vampires are but they tend to burn slightly if they're in its path for hours at a time so we've given them beds as far away from the windows as possible."

"How much is burn slightly?"

Padma shook her head. "We didn't even realise it was happening at first because none of them trusted us enough to complain about it. But I spotted the abrasions on some of the lighter skinned vampires. They were nasty burns but it seemed as if it barely affected them. We think they have a higher pain threshold than the rest of us."

Hermione took in the information.

"The Healers testing on them probably made it like that so they would be able to withstand more invasive procedures." Padma said.

Hermione wrinkled her nose at the abhorrent thought. "Merlin, it must have been horrible for them."

Padma nodded her agreement. "They don't talk about it. Bl…Zabini's spoken about it to Kingsley because someone needed to know but that's it."

Hermione picked up on the hesitation in Padma's voice when she said Zabini's name but for some reason, felt as if she couldn't bring it up. Hopefully now that they were working together and could talk about the patients freely, Padma would confide in her. But until then, Hermione would pretend to ignore the dark looks Zabini kept sending in Padma's direction.

"How are the patients able to control their changes?"

"It seems to be easier for some than others. Healer Johnson thinks it depends on how much of the creature was put into them. Only two of them are able to control it fully. Zabini and Hanz, one of the wolves. With the other's it comes out when they're feeling strong emotions."

They took a break when the waiter came over with their food and both dug in eagerly. Once the waiter was out of earshot and the booth's Muffliato charm was in place once more, they continued.

"So they control it with their mind?"

Padma nodded. "They haven't really been forthcoming with any information but Hanz said he just thinks it and it happens."

Hermione pondered the information. Merlin- there was so much that they didn't know yet- even after all these months.

She was ready to ask another question when Padma spoke. "So are we going to ignore the fact that Malfoy kept calling you his Mate all through lunch?" she said teasingly.

Hermione choked on her chicken.

_Bugger._

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh my goodness- how do I even begin to thank all you wonderful readers for the amazing reviews you left for me! I cannot express how grateful I am that you bothered to take the time to read the chapter and review! Your demands for more definitely got the plot bunnies hopping away and this chapter just came out! (I'm going to ignore the fact that I should have been doing something else entirely during this time). Consider this an early Christmas present. That being said, a quick update doesn't seem enough to thank all of you. So how about a sneak peak of the next chapter? Stop reading now if you don't want one! _

_o_

_o_

She slowly brought up her hand and laid it on top of Malfoy's. Her body tensed in preparation, either to run or fight.

She had no need to do either.

Under her own, Malfoy's hand remained limp. Feeling a bit more courageous, she leaned closer to him.

"Malfoy?" she said quietly. "Malfoy? Can you hear me?"

_o_

_o_

_This still doesn't feel like enough of a thank you! Anyone who reviews and says they want another sneak peak will get one! And I promise this one will be much jucier! Take me up on the offer- trust me, regular readers will tell you how stingy and mean I can be when it comes to handing out information about upcoming chapters and this is a one time offer! (And please don't review anonymously if you want the sneak peak and please state that you want it outright! I don't want to ruin anything for anyone!) Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Wednesday morning dawned bright and rosy and Hermione woke up an hour earlier than usual to prepare herself for the upcoming day. A welcome pack had been Owled to her by Healer Johnson and it contained a long list of do's and don'ts when it came to the patients on the ward. Some things were obvious, such as explicitly explaining every treatment to the patients before carrying it out but others, such as not to wear perfume as it irritated the now hypersensitive noses of the patients, well suffice to say she was glad the information was contained within the welcome pack or she would have never known!

Despite how prepared she felt, she couldn't help but feel a little niggle of doubt and worry as she made her way to ward 17 and completed her security checks.

As it was seven in the morning, most of the patients on the ward were still thankfully asleep. It meant Hermione had approximately four or five hours before they woke and she needed to be extra careful on what she did and where she did it.

Making her way over to the Nurse's Station, she carried out the patient handover and got to work. First up was checking over all the patient files and seeing what she had missed since she'd last stepped foot onto the ward.

She noted in particular that there had been no change in Malfoy's condition and she read over the latest notes that had been added into his folder yesterday. It stated that his condition had now become more worrisome since he had been in a coma for so long and apart from the brief incident two days ago, he remained largely unresponsive.

Hermione looked up from the notes and glanced over to Malfoy's bed. She frowned as she watched him, the familiar feeling of helplessness rising in her stomach at not being able to help a patient. She hated patients in comas. They were stuck in limbo and Hermione always felt like she was stuck in limbo right there with them.

She had seen more families than she'd like, enter the hospital to visit their comatose loved ones only to leave with despair in their eyes that one more day had passed and they hadn't woken yet.

Standing from her seat and clutching Malfoy's folder tightly to her chest, she walked over to his bed. Her heart began thumping as she neared him and she felt as if she was doing something wrong. The sane voice in her head admonished her. Malfoy was her patient- of course she wasn't doing anything wrong.

But that didn't stop her from taking a covert glance around the ward to make sure no one was in earshot before she slowly brought up her hand and laid it on top of Malfoy's. Her body tensed in preparation, either to run or fight.

She had no need to do either.

Under her own, Malfoy's hand remained limp. Feeling a bit more courageous, she leaned closer to him.

"Malfoy?" she said quietly. "Malfoy? Can you hear me?"

When she received no response she breathed out a sigh of relief. _Thank Merlin._ The idea that she could possibly be his Mate was absolutely absurd but the notion had been slowly niggling away at her. She felt oddly eased at knowing the entire thing couldn't possibly be true. After all, surely he would have woken up when she'd touched him if that was the case?

Merlin, two days ago she'd only needed to be near his bed when he'd sprung out of it!

Dropping his hand gently back onto the bedspread, she smiled to herself before turning on her heels and walking away from him.

_Thank Merlin._

ooo

The next few hours in general passed by without any incident. As if an alarm had gone off, the patients seemed to wake from their sleep one after the other until within a singular minute, they were all sitting upright in their beds, any remainder of sleep eradicated from their eyes instantly.

Hermione kept her position at the Nurse's Station, in view of most of the patients but otherwise out of the way as they were given their breakfasts for the day. She pretended to make notes, all the while knowing she was the subject of many curious and wary stares but she forced herself to not look up. If she wanted to work with the patients then they needed to realise that she wasn't going to hurt them. They needed to get used to her presence.

When it came for the morning rounds, breakfast had been over for two hours and Hermione eagerly joined Healer Johnson and Healer Ryan (who had decided not to withdraw from his newly appointed position).

They started with the female Veela first. Rose looked downright terrified of both Hermione and Healer Ryan and it seemed her check-up couldn't have finished any quicker despite the warm, reassuring smiles Hermione sent her way.

They moved onto the half vampires next. Their consultations were dealt with in a quick and efficient manner. Routine questions were asked by Hermione and the other two Healers and they were answered by the patients in a bored or carefully neutral tone.

The werewolves were tackled next and proved to be a little trickier. Most refused to answer her questions, glaring at Hanz when he answered everything they asked him in a polite tone. Hermione kept her tone particularly friendly when it came to James but he still stared at her with anger and mistrust in his red eyes.

Unfortunately it seemed like this was routine practice and the three Healers moved on with the promise that if any of the wolves were hurting or found themselves in pain, they should alert one of the medical staff for assistance. Hermione left with the inkling that even if the wolves were on fire and dying, they still wouldn't have asked for any help.

Malfoy was left till last and his check-up was particularly speedy. The fact there was no change from last night was documented in his notes and the three Healers made their way back to the Nurse's Station.

As soon as the notes had been safely locked away in the cupboard, Healer Ryan walked away. Hermione made to do the same, sending a polite smile Healer Johnson's way when he spoke.

"Actually Healer Granger, if I could have a quick word?"

Hermione nodded her acquiescence and the two moved over to the chairs.

"As I'm sure you've seen from Mr Malfoy's chart, his condition hasn't improved other than the short incident on Monday morning."

Hermione nodded her head.

"Right. Well- I've been thinking about the…incident, in particular what Mr Malfoy claimed you to be."

Hermione jumped in. "Mr Malfoy had just startled himself out of a coma which he's been in for over three months. I don't think we can take anything he had to say as credible or coherent."

"Nevertheless, the fact can't be ignored that it was the day you stepped onto the ward that he chose to wake, claiming you as his mate."

"I've been on the ward for hours today and he's not woken again." She pointed out.

Healer Johnson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I know this is going against normal practice but I have to ask. Would you be willing to sit by him today?" There was more uneasy shifting. "Possibly hold his hand? Maybe physical contact will bring him around."

Hermione wanted to refuse right away but she could hardly claim that she had already tried touching him earlier that day and it hadn't yielded any results.

"Healer Johnson, I really don't think that my presence, physical or otherwise, will have an impact on Mr Malfoy."

Healer Johnson sighed. "I know it is asking a lot." He said as he ran his fingers over his balding head. "But I'm struggling to come up with a solution. Circumstances for Mr Malfoy are becoming more desperate. There is talk in the Ministry that anyone affected by these heinous crimes have suffered enough and will have their sentences overturned but until then, they are still under the care of the state. Mr Malfoy had been unresponsive for so long, that talk by some, had turned on whether it would be kinder to…"

Healer Johnson didn't need to finish his sentence for Hermione to know what he meant and she couldn't contain her gasp of shock.

"What? How is that even possible? We took oaths as Healer's to never harm a patient. Letting someone die is…absolutely not an option."

"I agree with you. However the final decision I'm afraid doesn't lie with me. The more hardened members of the Wizengamot have made the point that whilst Mr Malfoy is unresponsive, he could very well be unresponsive in his cell at Azkaban rather than waste the Ministry's funds by taking up a bed in the ward."

"That's _ridiculous_. He's sick. Of course he needs to be here!"

"Once again, I agree with you. Things for Mr Malfoy were looking desperate until two days ago. His waking up, no matter how brief it may have been, bought him…and us some more time. But I'm afraid that if we don't find a way of waking up Mr Malfoy again soon- we may lose him."

Hermione leaned back in her chair.

Healer Johnson continued doggedly. "That is why I'm suggesting that you sit with him. We must try every single possible treatment, even if those treatments might be a little…alternative."

Hermione sighed, knowing she'd been backed into a corner. "Very well. I will spend as much time as I can today by Mr Malfoy's side…holding his hand."

_Not that it will work. _

But hey, maybe she could use the time to think on what they could do to wake Malfoy up…and how to protect him if he didn't.

ooo

It had been exactly seventeen minutes since Hermione had pulled up a chair next to Malfoy's prone body and laid her hand over his.

And it had been seventeen minutes since she had been the subject of the unflinching stares coming at her from the patients in the surrounding beds. None glowered as much as the one being sent her way by the patient in the bed directly opposite to Malfoy's.

Hermione tried her hardest to ignore the looks. But when the tension of not looking up from the book in her lap began giving her a headache, she sighed out a huff. Slamming the book closed, she pasted a blank expression over her face before looking up and directly into James's red eyes.

She lifted an eyebrow arrogantly but said nothing as she returned his stare. She thought she saw a flicker of a smirk- she couldn't believe it would be a _smile_- at the corner of his lips but it was gone when she blinked her eyes to take a second look.

She had hoped to win their little impromptu staring contest but grew restless looking into his unusual gaze.

"Can I help you with something, Mr Rosier?"

That got a response from him. Hermione watched his jaw clench.

"Don't call me that." He rasped out in a growly voice.

Hermione's eyebrow lifted further. "Very well. James then."

A shuttered look fell over his face. "My name is James Rosier no more."

Hermione's brow furrowed but she forced herself to keep her tone light, knowing that every patient in the vicinity was hanging onto every word the two were exchanging.

"Oh? Well perhaps you should inform me of what your correct name is. Your notes will need to be changed along with the tag above your bed."

"I have no name."

Hermione didn't know how to respond to that and she took a moment coming up with a suitable response.

"What would you _like_ your name to be?"

Now it was his turn to ponder…and he did so for a few minutes. By the time he responded, Hermione thought that he had gone back to ignoring her.

And then he spoke. "Lycaon."

Hermione turned her attention back to him, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "Pardon me?"

"Lycaon. My name is Lycaon."

The name sounded vaguely familiar and Hermione scanned through the information in her head before she found the relevant answer. She muttered her findings out loud.

"Lycaon. King of Arcadia… according to Greek Mythology."

James couldn't mask the impressed look that shone from behind his eyes. Hermione was glad that it looked like bridges were finally being built. And then she remembered the remainder of the story and her smile slipped slightly.

"He committed gruesome deeds and in punishment, he was turned into a wolf. Fitting, isn't it?" James said in a sneer.

Hermione winced internally. "You honestly wish to be called Lycaon from now onwards?"

"Why not? James Rosier died the day he was taken from his Azkaban cell. He's been dead for seven years."

Hermione felt the stirrings of pity in the bottom of her stomach and she looked away from James and scanned the faces of the nearby patients. All of them had hard looks on their faces; some were even nodding in agreement with James's words.

_Dear Merlin_. What must these people be feeling? She made a mental note to see if anything was being done in regards to getting the patients someone to talk to.

"You know, when you're free to leave here and go back to the Wizarding World; you can either choose to be a human that has a werewolf side…or a werewolf that has a human side. You might want to think about that…Lycaon."

And with that, Hermione turned her attention back to the book in her lap, feeling firmly confident that she had just burnt the bridge she had felt building earlier.

ooo

The day passed by relatively quietly. Hermione spent as much time as possible sat next to Malfoy's bed, feeling partly thankful that her presence wasn't causing Malfoy to wake up and partly guilty when she saw the crushing look on Healer Johnson's face when he came over hourly for his progress checks.

She had finished reading her book long ago and from the perch on her chair, she took to studying the wards occupants when they finally tore their eyes from her. She was pleased that she could spend so much time merely observing the patients, learning various oddities about them that she might not have picked up otherwise.

The first new thing she noticed was that they hardly ever spoke to each other. After wondering about this for a few moments, she realised she had been wrong in her initial conclusion. If she looked closely enough, she managed to pick up on the slight movement of lips even though no noise came from them.

The patients were speaking to each at a level which wasn't discernible to the "full" humans but with their hypersensitive hearing, perfectly clear for their intended recipient. She idly wondered if anyone else had picked up on this?

The second thing she noticed was how segregated the "species" were. Padma had mentioned this briefly at their lunch but she hadn't gone into any detail. On ward 17 it seemed werewolf stayed with werewolf, vampire stayed with vampire and the female Veela stayed alone. Only Zabini and Hanz were apparently free to walk between the groups as they pleased.

And the third observation was that different patients were affected by their "other halves" in different amounts. Some, such as James had fully human features when suppressing their werewolf side whilst three or four of the other werewolves carried some of their werewolf traits twenty four seven. Their pupils were permanently altered, their eyes were slightly tilted and their teeth sharper than normal.

The same could be said for the vampires. She hadn't seen Zabini since the War had ended but it seemed impossible for someone to have such sharp cheekbones.

And then another thought entered her mind. What did they eat? She had seen them eat normal human food but was that providing enough sustenance for their other halves? She supposed the werewolves could make do with rare pieces of meat, similar to Bill, but wouldn't the vampires need blood- human blood?

She made another mental note to ask Healer Johnson about that too.

ooo

By the end of her shift, Hermione was ready to fall asleep with boredom. When she had been denied access to the ward and dreamt of what lay behind its closed doors, she had pictured days filled with excitement. Days spent healing the patients whilst learning about their new found abilities.

Unfortunately for her, it seemed the Healing was over very quickly (if one didn't count having to spend all day at Malfoy's bedside) and as far as studying the patients and learning about their abilities- well it seemed like a no go area.

She had thought that after four months, the Healers would have gathered more information on what had happened to the patients and built up a picture of what was going on in their bodies. She supposed she couldn't blame the Healers entirely for their lack of knowledge. The patients were all very secretive.

"Healer Granger?"

Hermione snapped out of her musings and looked up at Healer Johnson.

The older Healer studied Malfoy critically before sighing. "No change in his condition."

Hermione shook her head as she turned to face Malfoy herself. Horrible as it was to say or think, but with his pale skin, Malfoy looked half dead already.

She shook that thought away and slipped her hand off his arm. "I'm afraid not."

"I knew the likelihood of this working was minimal but still…I couldn't help hoping…"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "It was worth a try." She said kindly.

Healer Johnson nodded his head non-committedly. "I suppose…Anyway, it's coming towards the end of your shift- I will see you tomorrow."

Hermione stood from her seat. "Actually Healer Johnson. I have a few questions if you have a few minutes to spare."

"Of course."

They both left Malfoy's bedside and walked over to the Nurse's Station.

"I was wondering about the patient's diet. I know they've been eating a normal human diet but is this enough to sustain the vampires?"

Healer Johnson smiled. "I'm glad you picked up on that. Currently we're serving all the patients other than Rose blue meat. It seems to be satisfying the patients with werewolf DNA but the vampires are barely tolerating it. Animal blood is no substitute for human blood."

"So how are we going to continue?"

"The Minister of Magic himself is in talks with the Muggle Prime Minister. They're trying to come to a mutually beneficial agreement where we are allowed access to their Muggle blood supplies in exchange for some of our Healing potions. Of course in the long run this won't work for either party. We cannot rely on the Muggle blood stores inevitably and the Muggles will not be able to replicate our potions without magic. But for now is seems- that is the solution that the Ministry has come up with. "

Hermione lowered her voice for the next question. "I was wondering if anyone had spoken to the patients about possibly testing their abilities. We already know about their hearing but there has to be other ways in which their new DNA is changing them physically. And why do some patient's look more like their creature half than others?"

When she stopped speaking, she picked up on the uneasy look on Healer Johnson's face. It didn't take Hermione very long to figure out why. The two of them were the subject of intense stares from every single patient on the ward bar Malfoy and Rose.

"Healer Granger…I understand your curiosity, but our first and foremost job is to heal the patients…not study them for research."

Feeling admonished, Hermione leaned back in her seat. "I realise that. But surely if we understand more about what's happening in the patient's bodies then we would be in a better place to heal them?"

"I do understand your point, Healer Granger. But you must remember that these patients have been test subjects for close to a decade. They have no reason to trust us after a few short months. And until that trust can be established, our jobs will remain as Healers…and not researchers."

Giving her a pat on the arm and a kind smile, Healer Johnson stood from his seat and walked away, leaving her alone in the Nurse's station. She was still the subject of every glare and snarling look and Hermione sighed. She should have discussed this with Healer Johnson when they were away from the ward.

She mentally berated herself. Her first official day on the job and she had already alienated herself from every patient here.

Sighing, she stood form her chair and grabbed her bags, ready to leave. She said a brief goodbye to Padma and Healer Ryan and then walked over to the entrance. She passed James's bed on the way.

She wasn't expecting him to speak and when he did, she found herself pausing by his bed. His words weren't ones of warmth. He looked at her with a burning fury in his eyes. "You asked me whether I wanted to be seen as a human or a wolf, as if the choice were mine to make. As long as there's people like _you_ wanting to _study _me, I will always be a werewolf with a human side. So go ahead and change the name on my records to Lycaon. Like I said- James Rosier is dead."

Hermione looked at him in silence for a few seconds before she couldn't any longer. _Bugger- why couldn't she have talked to Healer Johnson outside of the ward?_

She thought about apologising and explaining herself but she knew they wouldn't listen. And if she were honest with herself- she knew it wouldn't be enough.

Sighing and shaking her head slightly, she continued walking to the exit.

"Healer Granger."

Hermione took in a sharp breath as she was stopped once again. She turned around, surprised that it was Zabini who had spoken.

"Is it true what Healer Johnson said about Draco? That members of the Ministry are discussing sending him back to Azkaban if he doesn't awaken?"

Hermione sighed, realising what she was about to say would be useless since he would have already heard the entire conversation between her and Healer Johnson. "I can't discuss Mr Malfoy's condition with you Mr Zabini."

Zabini looked startled for a moment, as if he hadn't been expecting her to deny him but a small smile formed at his lips. "Very well. How far are you willing to go to help Draco?"

Hermione frowned. "Pardon me?"

"Are you willing to do anything in your power to help Malfoy?"

Hermione's frown deepened. "Of course I am. Mr Malfoy is my patient just like the rest of you."

Zabini's eyes turned cold. They left hers and Hermione watched him nod his head at James and receive a nod in return.

And then in a simultaneous movement, four patients from the vampire side of the ward and four patients from the werewolf side jumped out of their beds.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat as they surrounded her. Her back straightened as her gut began screaming. One hand fisted her bag whilst the other moved to tightly grip the handle of her wand.

Her heart began thudding in her throat as she shifted her eyes from one patient to the next, tensing when she saw the clinical look in them.

"Draco said you were his mate. A Veela, like a vampire or a werewolf, will do anything to protect his mate from harm. That's why Malfoy woke. You were in danger." Zabini said expressionlessly.

Hermione couldn't process his words. She didn't care how she may have been in danger two days ago. She was in danger now!

"You said you would do anything in your power to help Draco." he stated again, a dangerous look entering his eyes. Suddenly he turned his head to the side. "Stay back!" he roared.

It took Hermione a few seconds to realise who he was talking to.

"…Blaise?…What are you doing? Stop it- Now!" Padma cried out as she looked at Hermione in horror.

"I'm helping my brother." Zabini replied simply.

And then they attacked.

* * *

_Author's Note: Holy Moly You guys rock my socks off! Thank You Thank You Thank You for the wonderful reviews you left! I honestly don't know what to say! I hope those of you who asked for a sneak peak of this chapter enjoyed it! There were a few of you who reviewed anonymously and asked for the sneak peak but like I mentioned in my last author's note, I can't PM you back if you don't log in and review so I'm sorry I didn't send you anything. I did try my hand at trying to find you but my sleuthing skills are completely pants so I'm sorry you missed out! A special shout out to my reviewer who left me a review in a language I don't speak! I may not have a clue what you said but thank you anyway! _

_As for the next chapter- you'll be happy to know it's been partially written already. Who's ready for a certain Veela to wake up..._

_As always, Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione felt like she was in a tunnel. Everywhere she looked was dark and all she could hear was a strange whooshing noise in her ears. As she surfaced further from her strange dream, she slowly regained the feeling in her body. Merlin her bones _ached!_

What had happened? Where was she?

She shifted slightly and her back complained in the form of a persistent stabbing pain. It was then that she realised her eyes were closed. She opened them before squinting at the bright light. Her eyes were given some form of relief when a head moved over her.

Ginger hair. Ron.

"Ron?" Hermione croaked out, trying to move a bit further.

"Merlin. You're awake! Harry! She's awake!"

"Hermione?" came Harry's worried voice.

Hermione could only tilt her head to the other side slightly. Her throat felt so dry.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"You don't remember?" she heard Ron ask as she closed her eyes again. The banging in her head was increasing again. Merlin, she needed a pain-relief potion.

"Hermione- Open your eyes. Do you remember what happened?" Harry asked.

She forced her eyes to open and slowly, images began to echo through her memory. She'd been at work. She'd been leaving work. She had been talking to James- no- she had been talking to Zabini. No, she had talked to both of them.

Her eyes widened as the rest of the images flew forward and bombarded her. She remembered her cry of fright before she'd thrown out defensive spell after defensive spell from her wand.

Something strange had been happening though. Despite the chaos that had been occurring around her, Hermione remembered patient after patient coming at her before merely bumping into her or jostling her before they moved away.

What had happened? _What had they been doing? _

Regardless of whatever spells she had shot at them, they had responded with fierce snarls and growls instead of their new found superior strength. In fact, now that she thought about it, she distinctly remembered Zabini and even James repeating the phrase "Be Careful" to each other.

_Had they been trying to scare her? _

She shook her head- no, they had been attacking her. That had been their intention. And yet they didn't harm her- or at least until someone had jumped on her back. Hermione remembered immediately crumpling at the unexpected additional weight.

She groaned out loud. No wonder her head ached so badly. She had banged it on the floor. Merlin- she must have passed out.

Stroking her lips with her dry tongue she turned back to Harry. "I remember. But I don't understand."

"The main thing is that you're fine. Merlin- the fucking animal bastards." Ron hissed out.

"Ron." Harry placated.

"Are you kidding me? They could have killed her, Harry! There's no way you're working on that bloody ward again Mione."

Hermione ignored Ron's angry words. "Harry. Tell me."

Harry shook his head. "They came up with some stupid plan that if they made it look like you were being attacked then maybe Malfoy would wake up to protect you."

"Only one _fucker_ lost control and let his animal side out. Padma said he pounced on you and you crumbled." Ron finished in a loud voice that had her wincing.

"Ron- inside voice, please."

He looked sheepish. "Sorry Mione. I'm just angry."

Hermione made a vague noise with her throat. "Did it work?" _At least tell her it worked!_

"What?" Ron said in a confused tone.

"Malfoy- did it work?"

"No Mione. He didn't so much as flinch throughout the entire thing."

Hermione sighed out loud. "I need a pain- relief potion. How bad are the bruises on my head? Go and fetch me my notes so I can read them."

Harry smiled. "The nurse just went to get your pain-relief potion. The bruises on your head are not too bad considering the accounts the Healers and the receptionist gave to the Aurors. And no- I'm not going to get you your notes to read. You're a patient at the moment. Not a Healer."

"Harry!"

Harry didn't respond as the door opened and a nurse walked in. "Here you are Healer Granger. You'll be feeling right as rain in no time." She said as she passed over the potion.

Hermione drank it quickly, kept it down by supressing her gag reflex and then waited for the potion to work its magic. Thirty seconds later she was feeling better than ever and she sat up in the bed.

"Here's a salve for your bruises. Use it every hour and they should have disappeared by tomorrow afternoon."

Hermione thanked the nurse and waited until she left the room. Looking down, she saw she was wearing the hospitals patient's robes and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Pass me my clothes, Harry."

Harry didn't look happy about it but he did as she asked.

"What's the time?" she asked him.

"You've been unconscious for two hours."

"Ugh." Hermione said as she shifted off the bed and walked into the bathroom to change. "What's happening at the Ward?"

"The Auror's finished taking statements an hour ago. They've arrested one of the patients- the one who jumped on you- and moved him to an isolated unit. They're monitoring him now."

Hermione closed her eyes in despair. That wasn't going to work very well for the patient or for the rest of his new found pack. They hated being separated.

"What else?" she asked through the partially closed door.

"You're not seriously thinking about going back to work are you? Healer Johnson said you could have the rest of the day off but Mione- I think Ron was right- it's too dangerous working on that ward."

"Harry Potter, I _know_ you're not telling me what to do."

"Mione…"

Hermione opened the door. "Harry, honestly, I'm fine. And I think I need to go back to work today. At least just to show my face. Yes the plan they came up with wasn't the greatest but I need to face them."

Harry sighed loudly. "Fine." He agreed, "but I'm only agreeing because I know there's a load of Auror's on the ward right now."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him good naturedly. "I'll leave you to handle Ron. Where is he anyway?"

"He went to Owl Molly and Arthur that you're fine. Although you might want to pop into the Burrow later tonight and show them first hand."

Hermione laughed and promised him that she would try her best to do so.

ooo

Walking into the ward was a somewhat surreal experience. She had barely stepped one foot into the area when Padma ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Hermione was glad she had taken the pain-relief potion.

"Oh Merlin- are you okay? What happened? When did you wake up? I can't believe this happened! I honestly can't believe they did this! If he wasn't so bloody sorry and I would probably break my fist or lose my job if I tried, I swear Hermione; I would have punched him in the stomach and hexed him for doing something so stupid."

Hermione blinked at the barrage of questions. She flicked her eyes behind Padma and noticed the two of them were once again, as was becoming annoyingly the norm, the subject of every stare in the ward.

Hermione returned every look resolutely and was pleased that some of the patients backed down under her scrutiny. When she turned to face Zabini, he was looking at Padma with a clenched jaw. A quick look in Padma's direction saw the witch standing with her arms crossed over her chest as she determinedly ignored Zabini's intent stare.

Hermione's eyebrows rose but she otherwise ignored the actions of both of them.

Unlike Zabini, James _was_ looking her way when she turned to face him. She watched his eyes flicker over the bruises on her head but the blank look carefully shuttering his face never wavered.

"I just came up to check everyone was okay?" Hermione told Padma.

She got a scoff in return. "They're all fine. Well apart from Jacob. They've put him under constant monitoring in the isolation ward."

"Yes- Harry mentioned that."

Together, they walked further into the ward.

"Healer Granger." Hermione turned to face a semi contrite looking Zabini and even though he was speaking to her, he was directing his words to the witch by her side. "I am deeply sorry you were hurt this evening. That wasn't the plan we all agreed on."

Hermione looked at him for a further moment before she nodded her head once. "I appreciate that. Although I trust you won't include me in any more of your plans to wake Mr Malfoy without letting me know in advance."

Her sarcastic words finally caused him to glance her way, although she wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly when he only gave her a curt, singular nod.

She and Padma moved on. When they arrived at the Nurse's station, Hermione was immediately whisked away by an Auror in order to give her statement. She was assured that the wolf who had attacked her was under guard, not that Hermione felt particularly unsafe.

It just made her all the more determined that what she had mentioned earlier to Healer Johnson, about needing to study the patient's abilities, all the more important. If they wanted to integrate into society after all this was over then they needed to learn how to control undergoing the change into their respective creatures.

If not- they were going to find society a harsh place to live. Many folk may sympathise with what the prisoners had been through but that didn't mean they could forget why they had been in Azkaban in the first place. If they did have their sentences overturned and were freed before proceeding to attack someone at the slightest thing- it wasn't going to go well for them.

They would be ostracized within a blink of the eye.

ooo

It was another hour before the hospital staff, Hermione included, were given the all clear to leave for the night. Hermione was more than ready for her bed. It had been a long day. Correction- it had been a _very _long day and tomorrow she needed to do it all over again.

She found herself actually looking forward to the challenge.

She was making her way to the exit when she heard James clear his throat. When she turned to look at him, he simply stared at her but said nothing. Hermione gritted her teeth in annoyance. She responded in a haughty tone.

"Can I help you with something…Lycaon?"

She watched him scowl at her words and the tone.

"James."

"Excuse me?" Hermione continued in the same tone.

"My name… is James."

Hermione studied him before making a non-committed sound with her mouth. "I suppose we'll see, won't we?" she said before she turned around and began walking away.

Her classy storm off was cut short when she was interrupted yet again. "Healer Granger!" she heard someone say, along with the sound of running footsteps. "I forgot to get your signature on your account of the incident."

"Of course," Hermione said as she placed her bag on the floor by her feet and stretched out her hand to get the parchment from the Auror.

A sharp sting from the edge of the paper had her flinching in sudden pain. She automatically put the small cut into her mouth.

From four beds over, there was a loud feral cry.

Hermione whipped her head in its direction. The Veela was awake.

And he was looking right at Hermione with the same look in his eyes that he'd had before she had Stupefied him.

Betrayal…and cold fury.

"_You!_" he roared.

And then he detonated.

* * *

_Author's Note: An unbelievably huge thank you to everyone who read the last chapter and an even bigger thank you to those who took the time to review! I know the chapter is quite short compared to others but the next chapter will have a lot going on. So to make up for it- sneak peak anyone? As always, let me know outright in your reviews if you want me to send you one (make sure you don't review anonymously otherwise I can't PM you!). I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Until next time, Curiositykils. _

_p.s. If I was an evil evil meanie for the last cliffhanger, does this now make me an evil evil evil meanie? I feel quite honoured! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione didn't even have time to lift her wand before Malfoy had her grabbed in his arms; his inhumane strength crushing her into what felt like a million pieces.

Her lungs immediately began burning as they were denied air and all Hermione could do was look into Malfoy's eerily dark grey eyes and gasp in short bursts of oxygen through her parted mouth.

"Betrayed me!" he roared as he squeezed tighter.

Hermione let out a painful cry. "Argh! Mal-foy! Please!" she managed to whisper as her head began to swim. Dear Merlin- he was going to kill her.

"Draco. Release her. Now." Zabini said in his calm neutral voice.

"Mine!" Malfoy roared.

"Release her. You are harming her. Your Mate-"

"-My Mate. Betrayed me!"

Hermione gasped in a tight breath. "No-" she started to say before his arms tightened again and what little breath she did have was snuffed out of her lungs.

"Draco. She is a human. A human _female_. Release her."

Malfoy growled deep in his throat and Hermione gasped as she was lifted further into the air as Malfoy's head collided indecently with her lower stomach. He sniffed in loudly and Hermione tried to push him away with her fingers.

"I know she is a woman. I smell her. Sweet… Delicious... My Mate."

_Oh dear Merlin. _

Then suddenly Malfoy's nose retreated and he stopped sniffing. His head tilted upwards so Hermione could meet his eyes once more. She froze when they looked at her widely before anger flashed in them once more.

"My _treacherous_ Mate!"

Hermione's eyes broadened in a silent plea.

"Draco. Desist. Your Mate did not betray you. She was frightened of you. You scared her. Just as you are doing so now."

Zabini's words seemed to penetrate as the iron hold around her loosened slightly and Malfoy dropped her back down. Her feet still weren't touching the floor as she had hoped but as least she could breathe freely now and she did so gladly.

After a few seconds, she gathered her famed courage and tilted her head up to meet Malfoy's gaze. His head was once again cocked to the side and a confused look had fallen over his face. Hermione forced herself not to make any sudden movements.

"Frighten…my Mate?"

Hermione wasn't sure if he was asking her a question or making the statement to himself and so, she said and did nothing.

Malfoy's head immediately whipped around. "Stop! Do not come closer to my Mate!"

Hermione heard the Auror who had approached her earlier, back away slowly. Recognising her chance, she dipped her trembling fingers into the pocket of her robes and felt a large amount of relief when she encountered her wand.

Malfoy whipped his head back around to face her and Hermione froze. Her eyes closed when she saw his hand lift up and near her face. "My Mate is hurt!"

Her fist gripped her wand tightly even as she slanted her face away from Malfoy's incoming hand.

She felt something cold and smooth and sharp touch her cheek lightly and she had to swallow the lump in her throat forcibly.

_Merlin- why weren't the Auror's doing something? _

When she felt a second stroke from the top of her cheek all the way down to the corner of her lips, Hermione gritted her teeth and opened her eyes. Ever so slowly so Malfoy wouldn't cut her with whatever he was touching her with, she moved her head back to face him.

Her eyes widened when she caught sight of his disconcertingly pale claws. The sharp ends were only inches from her face and looked lethal.

_Merlin- that's what he'd been stroking her face with?! She would have been safer with a knife! _

"Draco. Step back and release her."

Malfoy acted as if he hadn't heard a word Zabini had said. He kept his now soft gaze on her face and his fingers twitched as if to stroke her once more. Hermione unconsciously reeled her head back and it slammed into the wall behind her.

At the action, Malfoy's hand paused and once again, he looked at her with a confused cock of his head as if he was trying to figure her out.

"Mr Malfoy. Release Healer Granger or we will have no choice but to use force." She head an Auror speak.

They were evidently the wrong words as Malfoy's body tensed immediately and both of his hands returned to the curve of her waist in order to hide her body against his. His black wings unfurled once again and shook dangerously.

"Leave with my Mate."

Hermione froze against his warm chest.

"Draco- you cannot kidnap a human female."

"No human female! My Mate!" came his roar.

"Very well." Zabini said in a semi placating tone. "You cannot kidnap your Mate."

"She is mine!" he snarled as his head whipped around once more.

Hermione knew she should wait to see if the Auror's, or more likely Zabini, could calm Malfoy down. But her gut was screaming at her of the danger she was in and to be honest, she didn't have too much faith in the Auror's or even Zabini.

And she was absolutely not about to let Malfoy take her with him- anywhere.

This might be the last chance she got- with his head turned the other way...

As if he had heard her thoughts, Malfoy's face turned back to her and he looked down at her with narrowed eyes. Hermione looked up at him with a frozen expression that she hoped hid her guilt.

"My Mate." He crooned to her. "Waited a decade for you." He growled softly as one of his claws came to softly rub over her lips. "Come." He said, his focus still on her lips. "We must bond." And his head started descending.

_Dear Merlin- Bond?! _

Hermione didn't even think twice. With a great surge of strength, she lifted her wand, poked it into Malfoy's naked chest and non-verbally stupefied his addled brain to the floor.

ooo

Hermione was making yet another statement to the Auror's when she saw Healer Johnson walk up to her. She had kept a distance from Malfoy as the Head Healer had performed his checks on him after levitating his prone body back to his bed.

She had seen the older wizard's disappointed features when he had performed the counter-course to the stupefy spell and once again, Malfoy hadn't responded.

Hermione didn't feel an ounce of guilt- not now that she knew what it took to wake Malfoy back up again. She may have taken an oath to do everything within her magic to help her patients but bonding with them, and she was in no doubt that in Malfoy's head, bonding was doing something intimate with him which was _never_ going to happen, was just not in the job description.

"I'm afraid it seems Mr Malfoy has fallen back into his coma." Healer Johnson stated as he scribbled something in Malfoy's notes, rubbing his chin with the tip of his quill as he did so.

Hermione stiffened but kept her mouth closed, waiting impatiently to see if the wizard was going to make a comment about her having stupefied Malfoy was the wrong decision for which she could jump down his throat.

He didn't. "If only he had listened to the Auror's and Mr Zabini." He said with a shaking head.

Hermione let the anger and adrenaline flow out of her body. She was about to inform Healer Johnson about her theory on how to wake Malfoy up again when he spoke.

"At least one good thing has come from this. The Ministry has finally realised that cooping up the patients on the ward is not working out for anyone involved. They've agreed to let the patients move into their own holding."

Hermione gasped at the news. "They're going to let them go free?" _When it was evident that they couldn't control themselves? _

"Not exactly. They've arranged for the patients to move into a vacant Manor that they seized during the War. There will be enough room for all the patients, the current ones as well as the next dozen or so to be found, and there will be enough land and forestry around for the wolves to run free and hunt. We hope this will expend any suppressed animalistic energy they have so they don't turn it on another human."

"And what if they do?" Hermione asked disbelievingly.

"The Auror's are putting up a sequence of powerful wards such as the ones they've put on this ward. The patients will not be able to leave without permission from the Ministry and no Wizarding folk will be able to enter without express permission from the Ministry."

Hermione bit her lip. "What about the vampires? Did the Minster come to a suitable agreement with the Muggle Prime Minister?"

"It was explained to the both of them on how the situation had changed and that they no longer had the freedom of a leisurely discussion. It seems to have worked out well in our favour. The Muggle Prime Minister has agreed to allow us limited access to their blood banks and all they wanted in exchange was some Pepper-Up Potion!"

Hermione kept her mouth quiet on the fact that in the Muggle World, the common cold was one of the biggest killers with no known cure, and not the mild annoyance it was to the Wizarding World.

"So when is this move taking place?"

"Tonight."

"So soon? Who will be allowed to leave?"

Healer Johnson shifted from one foot to the other. "I did suggest that the only patients allowed to leave should be those that have fully healed but the idea did not sit very well with the patients. They will not leave members of their pack and splitting makes them, in their eyes, more vulnerable to attack."

"So what are they going to do? Some of the patients need to remain on the ward for at least a few more days. They aren't fully healed yet."

"The Manor seized has a few smaller properties on its grounds where the chief staff used to reside. The solution that was put forward was that we move into those properties and heal the patients at the Manor."

Hermione frowned. "Why can't we just apparate to the Manor when our shifts start?"

"The Auror's want to restrict as much movement coming in and out of the area as possible. This way they'll know that if someone does apparate onto the grounds; it'll be someone who isn't supposed to be there."

_But still…_

Healer Johnson continued. "I understand this wasn't in the initial contract offered to you…or Healer Ryan who has declined the offer to continue on with us. I will understand if you too, wish to decline the position and return to your previous post."

Hermione sat back down in her seat. One half of her wanted to say no- she didn't want to become isolated from her family and friends but the other half…

"I'll do it… Although I'll need to bring my cat with me?" She told Healer Johnson.

He smiled. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm glad you've decided to stay on Healer Granger."

Hermione gave him a kind smile in return. "Do I have to move today?"

Healer Johnson shook his head. "Oh no, you and Nurse Patil head off home. You can take your time packing this evening and apparate to the Manor tomorrow morning. One of the Aurors will Owl you with the co-ordinates to the location."

Hermione nodded thankfully. She really was ready to go home and let Crookshanks cuddle up to her and wipe away this miserable day. Standing from her seat, she picked up a bag when she caught sight of Malfoy.

"About Malfoy-"

"Yes. I think everyone is glad you managed to Stupefy him when you did. It has certainly made the Auror's job of transporting him to the Manor that much easier."

Hermione bit her lip and flicked her gaze back to Malfoy. He would be fine for one more night, she decided. She would tell Healer Johnson of her discovery tomorrow where hopefully, they would have a barrage of Aurors on standby for when he did wake up.

"I will see you bright and early tomorrow."

Hermione turned back to Healer Johnson. "Bright and early." She said as she bid him goodbye.

Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day indeed.

ooo

The next morning, Hermione apparated to the Manor two hours before the time she had been told in her letter by the Auror. Along with the directions to the Manor, the letter had also contained the number of the cottage she had been allocated, along with the fact that it was adjoined to another cottage in which Nurse Patil would be residing. The Aurors had said that they would be able to put up a partition between the two cottages ensuring her and Padma had some privacy.

After a quick Floo call to Padma, Hermione had then Owled the Auror who had sent her the initial letter and told him not to bother with the partition and that she had talked to Padma, and both of them would prefer to keep the cottages open as it currently stood rather than have a small living space for one.

She hadn't received an Owl in reply and so she assumed the Aurors had heeded to their request. Upon apparating onto the grounds, Hermione was directed to her cottage and found that Padma had arrived fifteen minutes ago and was already in the middle of unpacking her things.

Hermione quickly followed suit and when she took a moment's break to take in the spectacular view outside her bedroom window, she decided to ignore the fact that she caught sight of Zabini in the not so far distance. His body was shaded from the sun by the thick canopy of the edge of the forest and his gaze was focused on Padma who was outside, innocently talking to an Auror.

All in all, it didn't take Hermione very long to unpack the belongings she had brought with her. With Harry and Ron being allowed to freely apparate onto the grounds on account of their jobs, she had figured that if she had forgotten something, they would be able to apparate to her flat and bring it to her easily.

When noon struck, both she and Padma took their lunch together, easy to prepare sandwiches, before they walked to the Manor for the start of their shift. Hermione had yet to see the new "ward" that had been set up inside the Manor and she was looking forward to viewing where she would be spending her time from now on.

Inside, the Manor was opulent and luxurious to say the least. Patients were walking around freely and if Hermione sensed right, they seemed less wary and tense then they had been at St Mungo's. She was glad. She followed Padma as they were both led to their new workspace. Healer Johnson was already there, his body bent over as he performed the routine checks on Malfoy's unconscious body.

Taking a deep breath in, Hermione walked over to him. "Healer Johnson. I think I know what it will take for Mr Malfoy to wake up."

Healer Johnson looked up at her in surprise as he straightened.

Hermione continued. "I think it's my blood…not my touch or the fact that I was in danger. During the first incident I had cut my hand on the broken glass and yesterday before Mr Malfoy woke, I had cut myself slightly on the edge of the parchment an Auror was handing to me."

Healer Johnson looked from her, back down to Malfoy and then up to her again. His mouth opened and closed a few times without speaking. "Could it be?" he asked himself.

Hermione answered. "I think so."

"So all it requires is a drop of your blood to awaken him? Extraordinary."

"I'm not sure how it works exactly but it's something we could easily try out."

An excited look passed over his face and Hermione rushed on. "Although I think we need to prepare ourselves for when he does wake up."

Healer Johnson frowned. "Yes, he does seem to fly off the broomstick when he awakens. He seems to have an attachment to you in particular."

Hermione scoffed mentally. That was putting it mildly.

"I was thinking that maybe the Auror's could…tie him to the bed? And that I could give you a drop of my blood away from the Manor so when you present it to Mr Malfoy, I'm not in the same room as him. Maybe that will calm him."

"…Or it could set him off. He'll smell your blood but he won't be able to find you. The thought of his Mate, hurt and missing, may make him more irrational."

"I don't believe that I am his Mate. It really isn't possible. It has to be some sort of side effect to what he went through in the rogue lab." Hermione quickly said. "There has to be a cure for him." She added in a tone that had more than a tinge of desperation in it.

Healer Johnson looked at her with a pitying expression that she quickly looked away from. "So you agree with my plan?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'll discuss it with the Auror's and see if we can get permission for me to take your sample back at St Mungo's. I'll apparate back and hopefully we'll be able to bring Mr Malfoy out of his coma. Once we've managed to calm him, you can return to your cottage."

Hermione nodded satisfactorily. She turned from Malfoy and got to work, passing a confused looking Padma along the way.

Hermione's smile widened and she shook her head. "I'll tell you later." She mouthed to the witch.

She sighed out. _Finally- a plan! _

ooo

It was six in the evening by the time that Hermione and Healer Johnson both apparated to St Mungo's. It had taken awhile to gain permission from the Ministry for their trip and explain their plan to the Auror's and the other residents of the Manor. Both groups were nervous but for different reasons. The Auror's because they were unsure if the plan would work and if their spells would be able to hold Malfoy to the bed whilst the other patients outright didn't think her plan would work.

Like Healer Johnson- they told her that if their Mate was hurt or missing- or bride in Zabini's case- they would go crazy trying to find her.

Hermione had tried to placate both Hanz and Zabini. She had completely ignored James's contribution that "for being supposedly the brightest witch of her age, she had come up with the stupidest idea in the Wizarding World." She was just surprised that he had even throw his two Knuts in.

The sample was taken in a few seconds and Hermione watched with a critical eye as Healer Johnson collected a few drops of her blood into a vial. After collecting what they both hoped would be enough, he corked the small bottle.

"Well, good luck I suppose." Hermione said to him.

He gave her one last excited look before apparating out. Hermione wiped the surface of her palms against her robes and clenched her fists in nervousness.

_Please Merlin let this work! _

ooo

Twenty minutes later and Hermione was getting more anxious by the minute. Why hadn't she heard anything yet? Hadn't it worked?

There was a pop and she whirled around to see Healer Johnson apparate into the ward. She could tell the answer of her earlier question by the way her colleague's face was lit up. Her own lips curled into a smile.

"It worked?" she asked.

"It worked! He's awake!"

"How is he?" she asked nervously.

"It was as I predicted. He smelt your blood and immediately ripped the ropes the Aurors had used to tie him to the bed. If it hadn't been for the other residents restraining him with their combined strength, we wouldn't have been able to control him."

_Wow. _

"After struggling for ten straight minutes, he finally settled down enough to listen to Mr Zabini. He briefly explained things and Mr Malfoy agreed not to seek you out."

Hermione hesitated when she heard that. It was what she had hoped would happen but something inside her was screaming at her to be careful. Hermione hushed the voice. That was all she needed to do- be careful.

It would be fine!

ooo

When Hermione apparated back into the living room of their cottage, she saw Padma jump out of the corner of her eye. The book she was reading was quickly slammed shut and her eyes shifted nervously.

"Hey." Hermione said with a frown at her friend's strange actions.

"Hey." Padma replied.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a smile.

Padma brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm fine. Things went alright with Malfoy."

"Yes. Healer Johnson told me." Hermione said as she walked further into the room.

"I'm just glad he's awake now…and decided to leave you alone of course. Healer Johnson was getting really worried about him." Padma stated.

The Indian witch shifted slightly and Hermione's eyes flicked down to the book in her lap. It was a book on magical creatures. Hermione frowned.

Padma caught the direction of her gaze and actually blushed. She spoke in a nonchalant voice. "I was just brushing up on some things we learnt in Hogwarts. You know about werewolves and centaurs."

Hermione couldn't help teasing. "…And vampires."

Padma's flush deepened. "And vampires." She croaked out.

Hermione decided to let her off the hook. "I was going to take a walk before dinner. Want to join me?" she offered.

Padma shook her head. "No I want to finish reading the book. I'll get started on dinner."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. "I'll see you in half an hour."

Padma had already re-opened the book and begun reading before Hermione had stepped out of the room. Bending down to scratch Crookshanks and coo at him for a few moments, Hermione stepped out of the cottage and headed towards the forest in the distance.

The sun was just beginning to set but there was still a pleasant warmth in the air. The forest tantalised her nose with the smell of the great outdoors and Hermione breathed in the smell greedily. It reminded her of Hogwarts and she hadn't realised she had missed the smell so much until now.

Glancing down, she saw a single purple flower blooming between the long blades of grass. She bent at the waist and fingered the unusually coloured petals. It was different to any flower she had seen in Herbology. Hmmm. Straightening once more, her body instantly froze.

She had seen something…hadn't she? Staying rooted to the spot, Hermione kept her eyes on the spot where she thought she had seen something move. Her ears strained to pick up any movement but she heard…and saw…nothing. Telling herself that she had to be mistaken, she continued on her walk, albeit taking a different path now, just in case.

A minute or so later, the hair on the nape of her neck began prickling. Her legs froze in place and her gaze quickly darted around. Again, she could see nothing.

"Okay Hermione. You're spooking yourself. There's nothing there. Just go back to the cottage." She whispered to herself in a no nonsense tone.

Quickly shaking her legs into action, she turned on the spot and began walking hurriedly away. It was probably just a resident of the house enjoying their new found freedom.

And then she heard another noise, one she had gotten horribly familiar with over the last few days.

A growl. Malfoy's growl.

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh my holy moly- you guys are all amazing. I can't believe so many of you reviewed! Thank you so so much! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas with their friends and family. Getting back to the fic- I hope you enjoyed this chapter (I did try to deliver on the length as promised!). As for those of you who asked for a sneak peak and didn't recieve one, like I said in my author's note, I can only send you a snippet if you log in and review and if you haven't disabled the PM feature as one or two of you have done. I've started writing the next chapter already and I am so excited for you to read it. There won't be a sneak peak this time because I don't want to ruin anything but lets just say that Draco is awake- and more than ready to take what he wants! Until next time, Curiositykils. _

_P.S. Another cliffhanger- evil meanie x 4?_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

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Hermione whirled around, one arm steadily holding her wand out in front of her whilst the other tried to keep her chest from beating so loudly. Her eyes flickered over the edge of the forest, trying to pick out the direction where the sound had come from.

He was still there. Still looking at her. The hairs on the nape of her neck attested to that. She gulped audibly before speaking.

"Hello? Is someone there?" she called out in her steadiest possible voice.

She waited with baited breath for Malfoy to reply. He chose to do so non-verbally, merely stepping out from his hiding place. He looked so huge that Hermione wondered why she hadn't spotted him in the first place.

She tensed as he began walking towards her. His face showed no emotion and her wand arm wavered, unsure if she should keep it raised or let it fall. In the end she compromised by lowering it slightly, so the tip was pointed towards Malfoy's feet.

For the first time since Hermione had seen him, he was fully clothed. The black robes covering his broad shoulders and chest somehow made him look all the more formidable.

He continued forward until he was stood fifteen feet away from her.

Hermione swallowed her fear and forced herself to act professional. "Hello Mr Malfoy. I'm glad you are awake."

He didn't respond and she resolutely continued. "It's a nice evening isn't it?"

Malfoy's head cocked to the side as he studied her. Her eyes nervously flickered down when she saw his large hands, tipped with his pale claws, curl into tight fists. Her nervous look turned into one of alarm and said alarm didn't abate when she saw a fine tremble overtake his entire body.

"Mr Malfoy?" she said quietly. Her gut began screaming at her to run.

Upon hearing her voice, Malfoy's trembling seemed to increase and she gasped. Hermione wasn't sure just what Malfoy was trying to control himself from doing but he was evidently fighting a losing battle and she had no plan to be around when his fuse blew.

"I'll just be going now." She told him quickly.

She hadn't even spun fully around when she heard his loud snarl again. "Do not run from me."

Hermione's head turned back. "I'm not running." She denied quickly, her feet still moving away. "I really just have to be going."

Another growl and another wave of fierce trembling. "No. My Mate runs… will have to… chase…must submit."

All the air whooshed out of Hermione's lungs. "Malfoy." She said quickly. "I'm not your Mate. I know it may seem that way but really I'm not. We'll get you some help- find some cure to what they did to you. But I'm _not_ your Mate."

Malfoy let out a furious roar at her words that immediately had her taking a few hasty steps back.

_Please, Merlin, let someone have heard that!_

"My Mate! Will show you!" And he took a step towards her, his intentions perfectly clear in his narrowed focused eyes.

Hermione raised her wand again, having no plans to _submit _to anyone!

"Malfoy. Stop! Or I will hex you!"

"Draco!" she heard a panicked voice cry out.

Hermione turned her head and looked in bewilderment as the female Veela ran up to them, her pretty features seemingly frozen in a look of hysteria as her beautiful, pale blonde hair trailed in the wind behind her.

"Stop!" Malfoy roared out loudly. Hermione winced at the deafening sound and Rose stopped in her tracks, hurt washing over her face.

"No-one touches my Mate but me!"

Rose didn't move her gaze from Malfoy's. "I wasn't going to touch Healer Granger."

"Leave us!" Malfoy demanded.

"No! You must learn to control yourself! Or you will push your Mate away!"

"Must complete the bonding ceremony!"

Another wounded look fell over the female Veela's face but Hermione barely registered it as her head jerked around to face Malfoy.

_Bonding Ceremony! _

The hold on her wand tightened, the Protego Spell ready to be spouted from her lips if Rose couldn't calm Malfoy down.

"You cannot mate with an unwilling female. You know this! Your Mate is unwilling!"

The dangerous look in Malfoy's eyes deepened. "I can make my Mate willing." He purred before he pounced.

"Protego Maxima!" Hermione shot out. She watched as the spell exploded out of her wand, the blue light blinding her widened eyes…which then turned to shock as Malfoy's wings folded in front of him and the spell ricocheted off in a dozen different directions.

"Stupefy!" she yelled wildly, just as Malfoy's body hit hers. The force pushed her off her feet and she felt herself falling backwards before one of Malfoy's wings curled around her and pulled her towards him.

She felt disorientated with panic and adrenaline as Malfoy rearranged her body from his wings to the uncompromising hold of his arms. She let out a puff of air as he finally stilled and she realised the position she was now in. Malfoy had curled her arms around his neck and her face was inches away from his.

"Hold on, Mate."

Hermione wanted to disobey. Her head was dizzy and couldn't comprehend the strange order but her body did. Her arms automatically followed Malfoy's command and tightened.

In the next second, Hermione felt her feet lift off the ground. Her brain kicked into gear, unconsciously pressing her body against Malfoy's as her mouth opened and she let out an ear splitting scream that never wavered for a single second as Malfoy flew her to the Manor.

ooo

The flight was relatively short, lasting under a minute, but Hermione still felt nauseous and dizzy as her feet hit solid ground again. She breathed in gulps of air as her mind caught up to the fact that Malfoy had just kidnapped her and _flown _her to…she quickly tilted her head up and looked around, her eyes landing on a huge four poster bed…his _bedroom. _

Her chest was still panting and her mouth was still dry when she caught sight of Malfoy, his body blocking the door. He was looking at her strangely.

"My Mate does not like flying?" He said the words with a little curl at the corner of his lips as if he found the thought quirky.

Hermione's feathers were immediately ruffled. "Your Mate does not like being _kidnapped!_" she spat out before realising she had inadvertently just called herself his Mate. "Let me go!" she shouted out.

"My Mate is frightened of the bonding ceremony? Veela will be careful not to hurt his Mate."

Hermione backed away from Malfoy…that was until her back hit the wall. "Listen to me, Malfoy. There is _not_ going to be any _bonding_ ceremony- for Merlin's sake. I am _not_ your Mate! I don't _want_ to be your Mate! This means you need to stay away from me, like you promised, so I can figure out how to stop this from happening!"

"My Mate will change her mind once we begin."

And with those ominous words, he stepped towards her.

Hermione lifted her wand and sent another stupefy spell his way. Once again, his wings blocked the spell and it had no effect. Well it had no beneficial effect. Malfoy had looked…annoyed when she'd tried the Shield Spell on him earlier but now his look of amused annoyance was fading into annoyed anger that she kept trying to harm him.

Regardless, Hermione tried defensive spell after defensive spell before she turned to her arsenal of offensive ones. It didn't matter where she directed them, whether to his head, his torso or his legs, his huge wings moved easily to block them all, until he was stood right in front of her.

His fingers caught her wrist and gently applied increasing pressure until her fingers twitched in a reflex to the brief flash of pain and her wand dropped to the floor. Malfoy's fingers then rubbed the area soothingly.

Hermione wrenched her had from under his. Malfoy gave her a sharp admonishing look before snagging her wrist back and continuing his tender ministrations. She swallowed the lump in her throat and wet her mouth with her dry tongue.

"Malfoy." She whispered, her voice trembling as his presence looming over her head, overwhelmed her. "Please…just step back."

Hermione kept her body held tightly in check. She had never felt so vulnerable, knowing for the first time in her Wizarding life that her wand was useless and couldn't protect her.

"Malfoy!" she whispered again.

He leaned back slightly and Hermione took in a full breath of air now that her lungs could expand without being pushed against his chest.

"Why does my Mate call me Malfoy? That is not my name!" he said sharply.

Hermione froze as she looked up at him numbly. _What?!_

"What are you talking about?" she asked slowly.

"My name is Veela."

Hermione would have fallen if the wall behind her wasn't holding her up. She merely looked at Malfoy with her mouth open slightly in surprise.

"Malfoy?" she said hesitatingly.

"Veela."

"…You do know who I am don't you?"

Malfoy's face melted and he gave her a soft smile. His fingers left her wrist and began stroking the rapidly thumping pulse at her throat. "Of course Veela knows. You are my Mate."

Hermione didn't know how to respond or what to say. Her mouth opened and closed but nothing was coming out. She forced herself to swallow and clear her throat. "Is this a joke, Malfoy? Because it isn't funny." She told him, trying her last resort.

Malfoy shot her down. "This is no joke... I dreamt of your scent." He said as he went off in tandem. And then his head descended into the curve of her neck and he took a long sniff.

Hermione's body fought to retreat and she resorted to slapping him sharply on the shoulder. When he didn't flinch, she punched him with all her might. Her fist throbbed after meeting the solid wall of muscle and Malfoy lifted his head and tilted it to the side as if to see what in Merlin's name she was doing.

She had barely dealt with the pain when she let out a startled squeak. Her unhurt fist curled into Malfoy's robes as he once again lifted her off her feet, carrying her over to the bed and laying her down in the middle of it. She immediately tried to scramble back off it. Malfoy stopped her easily by hooking a single finger into the belt loop of her jeans and pulling her back, giving her a stern look as he did so. Hermione felt like a naughty child.

Keeping his finger in place, he chucked off his robes and moved to lie down next to her.

"Merlin, Malfoy. What are you doing?!" Hermione screeched as she began furiously struggling again.

Thirty seconds later and she was ashamed of just how quickly she run out of breath and how easily Malfoy had subdued her struggles. It didn't matter where she kicked, and she tried to aim for some delicate places, the end result had her lying flat on her back, Malfoy on top of her, as his hands held both her palms by her head and his legs put enough weight on her thighs so that she couldn't kick anymore.

"Must _not_ fight me, Mate. The vampire said you would not like forced submission for our first bonding!"

Hermione froze as she looked up at his dark eyes. _Dear Merlin, this was actually going to happen!_ "Malfoy…Malfoy…" she whispered pleadingly.

"Veela." He corrected softly.

Hermione swallowed the ball of fear in her throat. "Veela…I don't want this. Please get off me."

"My Mate is still unwilling?"

Hermione jumped on the idea. "Yes! Yes, I'm still unwilling! And the female Veela said you couldn't force an unwilling mate!" she said triumphantly.

"And I said that I can make my Mate willing." He said as he stretched out and lowered so his face hovered above hers.

Hermione held in her breath and she watched with morbid curiosity as his wings folded around the two of them, blocking out the rest of the room. And then his teeth slowly elongated. It was the sight of those white incisors that had her taking in a great gulp of air and screaming for help at the top of her lungs.

From above her, Malfoy reeled back at the sudden high pitched noise. "Desist!" he growled out as his hand came to cover her mouth and muffle her screams. Hermione's first response was to lick his hand but she watched in horror as he let out a pleasurable moan. Quickly changing direction, she nuzzled her mouth further against Malfoy's palm, wrapped her lips around the fleshy part of his hand right under his thumb, pulled it into her mouth and bit down hard.

Malfoy jerked above her, threw his head back and let out a howl of what was most certainly not pain as she had hoped. He tilted his head back down to her, his eyes flashing with desire as he removed his hand from her mouth and watched in satisfaction as small pools of blood appeared where she had cut his skin.

Hermione screamed out again and Malfoy quickly covered her mouth with his bloody hand. She instantly tried to pull away as her mouth closed so his blood couldn't enter her mouth.

"Relax! Breathe in my scent, Mate. Breathe it in…" he crooned from above her.

With her mouth firmly clenched shut, Hermione had no choice but to gasp in breaths of air through her nose. A few short seconds later, it began tingling as a new musky citrusy smell hit it. Hermione froze when she inhaled it and she suddenly became very aware of her body. She stopped struggling against Malfoy, her eyes widening as she tried to find the source of the smell and ashamedly, she felt herself becoming warm and flushing in unwanted arousal.

Malfoy uncovered her mouth and her body greedily pulled in gulps of oxygen. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear the blood pumping in her ears and she tried to calm herself.

From a distance, she heard Malfoy speak. "Yes, my Mate. Breathe it in." His own head dug further into her neck and she shivered as his teeth ran lightly over her skin.

But despite her best tries, her head began to swim with dizziness. Something is wrong, a voice whispered in the faint recesses of her mind. Hermione pushed the voice away but it came back a little louder. And then she heard her name being called out.

Her brow puzzled as she heard it. _Healer Granger?_ Her body froze. _Healer_ Granger! Merlin, what was she doing!

She pushed as hard as she could on Malfoy's shoulders. "Malfoy- get off me!" she bucked wildly and gasped when she accidentally ground against something she really didn't want to be grinding against.

"Healer Granger?" she heard again from outside the closed door.

"Help me!" she screamed loudly.

The door blasted open and she heard a group of people burst in. There seemed to be a collective sharp intake of breath as the newcomers evidently took in the situation before there was a flurry of activity. Arms forcibly dug under Malfoy's wings and moved to wrap around his arms.

From her neck, Malfoy's head lifted, as if he was only now realising that they weren't alone in the room anymore. His aroused face shed its momentary confusion before he let out a huge roar. His wings came out and immediately pushed away the men that had neared him. They flew back into the air before landing steadily on their feet, in the case of the werewolves, on all fours.

"My Mate!" Malfoy bellowed as he flipped over and stood up on the bed.

Hermione lay numbly between his legs and watched his wings as they fluttered irately.

"Draco- Listen to me. None of us are here to harm your Mate. But you cannot bond with an unwilling female. The humans will not stand for it and you will get sent back to Azkaban. You will be parted from your Mate- is that want you want?" Zabini reasoned.

Malfoy reverberated at the words. "My Mate was not unwilling! No-one will part me from my Mate!"

"She was screaming for help!" she heard an Auror shout out.

Malfoy growled in his direction and Hermione saw the Auror's mouth quickly snap shut as his face paled.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before she slowly, and with as little movement as possible, extracted her legs from between Malfoy's until she was sat up against the beds headboard. When she tried to sidle to the side and get off the bed, Malfoy turned to her with furrowed eyebrows. She instantly stopped moving and returned his stare.

"Where is my Mate going?" he asked curiously.

Hermione breathed in. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to my cottage."

"But we have yet to even begin the bonding ceremony?"

She kept her eyes on his and spoke in her clearest voice. "I don't want to bond with you, Malfoy."

"My name is Veela. My Mate will call my name and not another's!"

She heard some sharp gasps but kept her gaze on Malfoy's. "Okay- I don't want to bond with you, _Veela._"

Malfoy looked momentarily stunned at her words and Hermione quickly took her chance to climb down from the bed and run over to her wand. She picked it up off the floor and clutched it in her hand as if it was her saviour, despite how ineffective it had proven against Malfoy.

"Draco. Look at me." She heard Zabini say.

Malfoy kept his gaze on hers and Hermione swallowed.

"…Veela- look at Mr Zabini." She said.

Obeying her instantly, he turned his head towards the vampire. Hermione watched the wizard's cool mask slip for a second as he looked at his old friend in shock.

"How can this be?" she heard Healer Johnson whisper. Despite the situation, Hermione's cheeks began burning at the knowledge her boss had seen her in such a compromising position with one of her patients. She resolutely pushed the feelings aside. "I don't think he remembers who he was." She told the group of people gathered in the room.

They looked from her to Malfoy with varying expressions on their faces.

"Regardless of whether he remembers or not – we cannot have him attacking Healer Granger whilst she is here. I think it would be best if we let Healer Johnson run his tests to determine the problem with Mr Malfoy's memory- alone."

Hermione had no problem with the Auror's idea- she would agree with anything that got her out of Malfoy's bedroom and back inside her own cottage where she could place every spell she could remember from her seventh year to ensure Malfoy stayed out!

He growled in warning the second she took a step towards the wizard who had spoken.

"He considers her his Mate and now that he knows she responds to him, he will not leave her side until the bonding his complete."

Those gloomy words rang through her head before she fully realised what Zabini had said. She coughed and spluttered. "I didn't respond to him. I didn't want to do anything- he had me pinned to the bed!"

She watched in confusion as all the former patients on the ward looked to the floor, expect for James who grinned wolfishly and Zabini whose stare never wavered.

"I'm afraid we can smell your response Healer Granger." Zabini told her gravely.

Hermione looked from him to James, whose grin widened when he saw the confused look on her face. He flicked his gaze down to the spot between her legs pointedly before looking up and licking his lips. Hermione blushed and her cheeks likely turned the colours of tomatoes.

_Oh dear Merlin!_

She looked away from everyone until she had regained control of herself once more. And then she adopted her most professional voice. "Regardless of any…response…I may or may not have had…there is no way Mr Malfoy can remain by my side twenty four hours a day."

"Don't bet on it, Mate."

Hermione ignored him. "We need to figure out what's going on with him- then maybe we can figure out why he thinks I'm his Mate. I know someone who I think it'll be a good idea to talk to- and she'll be impartial to everyone involved."

She directed her words to Healer Johnson who then replied. "I think that would be a good idea. Anyone with information would be useful."

Hermione nodded her head. She felt Malfoy move over to her and remained tense as he bent his head so he could growl in her ear.

"I don't take well to being ignored, Mate. Remember that."

Hermione looked at him and gritted her teeth. "And I don't take well to being forced into doing something I don't want to do. You should remember that!"

Malfoy rumbled as he moved his head closer. "My Mate was not unwilling. Just as I promised."

Hermione moved so his lips were no longer touching her ear and she resorted to ignoring him again. She turned to face Healer Johnson.

"I think we should visit my friend as soon as possible."

Healer Johnson looked between the two of them. "Of course, I look forward to hearing what she has to say also. I will make the necessary arrangements with the Ministry and Auror Department. Where will our destination be?"

"Shell Cottage."

"And how many members shall I say will be travelling?"

"Two." She replied instantly.

From behind her, Malfoy made his presence known.

Hermione clenched her jaw. "Three." She said through gritted teeth.

Malfoy let out a warm rumble at her concession. Hermione stared resolutely ahead. Mentally she made a vow that this would be the last compromise she made when it came to Malfoy.

How wrong she would be.

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_Author's Note: It's officially 2013! HAPPY NEW YEAR! New Years Resolution Number 1: Stop biting my fingernails (disgusting habit I know). New Years Resolution Number 2: Be less of a meanie to my readers...note the absence of an evil cliffhanger...and sneak peak anyone? Please state outright if you wish me to send you one and I will! Thank you for reading and Until next time, Curiositykils._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

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Hermione smiled as she caught sight of Fleur's face in the distance and she could only imagine what the French witch was currently thinking. How Hermione's fact finding mission to Shell Cottage had gone as a small visit with just her, Malfoy and Healer Johnson to the entourage that was walking alongside her she had no idea.

Apparently, the Auror's had outright refused for Malfoy to leave the protective wards of the Manor seeing how he evidently couldn't control his unpredictable actions. Orders had come from Kingsley himself that Hermione and Healer Johnson would be joined by two of his Auror's on their evening excursion.

But that didn't explain why Rose, Zabini and James were also present on this little trip. Hermione tried to ignore the fact. All she wanted to do was to get the answers she needed and she was desperately hoping that Fleur would be the one providing them.

And therefore, she could hardly stop herself from the running the short distance, from the apparation point on the beach, to the front door of Shell Cottage. Fleur looked as beautiful as ever despite the wide expanse of her very pregnant belly. It had become a frequent joke at Weasley dinners over the last few months that Fleur resembled a penguin when she walked and in turn, she had threatened her husband, that this child best be a male for she refused to become pregnant again.

Hermione's smiled as she remembered the good natured ribbing and her smile widened as she caught sight of a five year old Dominique cuddled up to her mother's side. Her tiny girl arms were barely able to cover half of Fleur's distended waist.

Hermione watched Dominique as she neared until the little girl caught sight of her. She could almost imagine hearing her familiar squeal and she watched her arms drop so she could run over to Hermione. But she was stopped when Fleur wrapped a protective arm over her daughter's chest, halting her movement.

Dominique looked up at her mother in confusion before she looked back at Hermione, her feet fidgeting as she waited for Hermione to reach the front door.

Hermione quickened her gait and from beside her, she heard Malfoy let out a growl. She jerked her head over to face him and flicked her gaze over his features. His narrowed eyes were, for once, not looking at her and instead, he was looking at Fleur as if she was going to attack them.

"Fleur's a friend. Stop looking at her like that."

"Veela."

Hermione sighed. It was becoming increasingly difficult to understand Malfoy when he refused to speak in full sentences and spent most of his time communicating in possessive or threatening sounding growls.

"Pardon me?" she asked him.

He didn't turn his gaze from Fleur. "Veela." He repeated.

"Yes, Fleur is a Veela. But like I just mentioned, she is a friend so stop looking at her like that. You'll frighten Dominique and Victoire!"

Hermione watched Malfoy flick his eyes down to glance at Dominique who he'd obviously dismissed. Then his gaze turned calculating and he looked at her.

"What will my Mate give me?"

Hermione looked at him, puzzled. "Pardon me?"

"What will my Mate give me for not scaring the child?"

Hermione sent him a deathly glare as she snorted. "Don't push your luck Malfoy. You're lucky I agreed to let you come in the first place."

"Veela." He said in an annoyed snarl.

"What?"

"My name is Veela."

Hermione merely let out a sigh of exasperation before she crossed her arms over her chest and she went back to ignoring him.

_Please_ let Fleur have the answers she needed.

ooo

"I'm sorry Hermione; I don't know what to tell you. If what you say is true-" Fleur flicked a nervous glance Malfoy's way, "then he's the first of his kind. I've never heard of my grandmother talking about Male Veela's."

Hermione slumped down in her seat and hugged Dominique's body closer to her. The girl had immediately settled into her lap as soon as Hermione had sat down and was busy fascinatingly playing with her Healer ID.

She jerked suddenly forward as she felt one of Malfoy's claws trail along the length of her nape. She shifted forward but Malfoy's palm clamped down on the curve of her right shoulder so she couldn't retreat any further. Hermione watched Fleur's attention divert to his hand and her sharp intake of breath let Hermione know that her friend knew how serious the situation was.

"It's okay. I didn't expect you to know much about Male Veela's." Hermione hesitated before continuing. Merlin, why had it been decided that they should all congregate in the cottage's kitchen for their discussion? Sighing, she got straight to the point. "Have you ever heard of a case where a Veela's chosen Mate…well wasn't her actual Mate?"

The hand on Hermione's shoulder tightened at the direction of her questioning. Fleur looked puzzled as she shook her head.

"I don't remember there ever being such a case. I would have to ask my grand-maman for more information but I remember her talking about how she and my grand-père fell in love. She said that her Veela side drew her to him and allowed her human side to fall in love with him."

"But why did her Veela side recognise him as her Mate?"

"No one knows what the reason is. There have been many hypotheses put forward but none have been proven."

Hermione had many more questions to ask but there was no way she could voice them with the present audience. And so she cuddled Dominique tighter to her chest and hid her misery in the girl's sweet smelling hair as she listened to Healer Johnson take over the questioning.

"I was hoping you would tell me more on the physical attributes of the female Veela. There seem to be a few differences between what we know and what we are seeing from Mr Malfoy."

"Differences? But surely if they used female Veela DNA than his Veela characteristics will be similar to normal Veela."

From beside her, she felt Healer Johnson shift. "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case." He turned to face Hermione. "Perhaps it would be best if we showed Mrs Weasley and then she can tell us what the differences are."

Hermione nodded but said nothing. It was only when most of the eyes turned to her that she realised they were all waiting for her to talk to Malfoy. She straightened and turned her neck to look up at him. He was looking down at her with a frown over his face.

"Um, Malfoy…if you want to…" And then she trailed off with the realisation that Malfoy might not be able to control his change. She turned back to Healer Johnson.

Thankfully it seemed the idea had dawned on him too. "Um well, Mr Malfoy's claws seem to be pale coloured instead of black." Hermione began to say until the hand on her shoulder slid around to the front of her throat causing her to squeak in alarm. One long finger came up to tap on the end of her nose and Hermione watched in silence as the claw that had nearly just blinded under, disappeared under her throat and tilted her head backwards. She swallowed as she looked up at an upside down facing Malfoy.

"Veela, Mate. I will not remind you again." And then with a gentle motion, he righted her head until she was staring at Fleur once again. The witch was looking at Hermione with wide blue eyes that didn't blink.

Hermione shuddered and she forced herself to continue as if that little incident hadn't just occurred. She suddenly felt very warm. "Veela has black feathered wings." She managed to choke out.

Fleur replied, albeit somewhat belatedly. "Female Veela have pale wings and black claws."

Hermione nodded. "Veela's eyes are darkened to what they were."

Fleur nodded. "When a Veela turns into her animal form, her eyes usually turn black. But they always turn back when she turns back to her human form."

"What about their teeth- Mal- _Veela's_ teeth…change...a lot." She finished off lamely.

Fleur frowned. "How much is a lot? Grand-maman used to tell me her teeth used to get a little more pronounced whenever she was in her Veela form. It's a mechanism to ward off something that threatens your mate or kin. Oh and of course they would be changed for the bonding ceremony."

Hermione's head jerked. "What? What was that about the bonding ceremony and teeth?"

Her gut started screaming and she had to force herself to swamp down her rising panic and listen to what Fleur was saying.

"- blood exchange so the teeth are able to break the skin. And then they retract."

Hermione's head swam as she filled in the blanks of the conversation she had zoned out for. "I'm sorry- did you just say that there is a blood exchange during this bonding ceremony and that female Veela bite their Mates when having intercourse?"

Fleur nodded. "It's not like a vampire's bite. I've heard that would hurt but a small nip will do for a Veela."

Hermione's eyes flicked over to Zabini and his stony expression as he looked out of the window. She turned back to Fleur. "Are you sure it doesn't hurt. Veela's teeth are just like a vampire's."

Fleur shook her head. "That's not right. A female Veela's teeth are just a little more pronounced than normal. Nothing like a vampire's."

Hermione cuddled Dominique closer to her once again. Difference number three it seemed. A foreboding feeling settled in her stomach. She wanted to know more about this bonding ceremony but she didn't say anything as Healer Johnson steered the conversation away from the topic.

"How is the change controlled? Do Veela only unleash their animal form under the two conditions you mentioned?"

Fleur turned her gaze to him. "Grand-maman used to explain it as having two people in one body. One human and One Veela. Through the first few months after the Veela awakens, they live in a constant battle but the Veela realises that in order to find her Mate, she needs to allow the human side to take the dominant position. Of course she needs to assert her dominance over her Mate during the bonding ceremony so she overtakes the human side then. This way she is able to scent her Mate."

"Scent her Mate?"

It wasn't Fleur that replied but Malfoy. "Ward off any other Male. Mate is for Veela only." He said as he idly stroked her neck.

"And then she comes out when she needs to protect her Mate. Physically, the Veela side is more powerful than the human side." Fleur continued.

_Then why was Malfoy stuck in some form of his Veela side permanently? _

"Do Veela wings have protective properties?" she questioned.

Fleur shook her head.

"Mr Malfoy is unable to recollect any of his previous memories before he was taken from Azkaban." Healer Johnson continued.

Fleur looked at Malfoy. "I-I do not know." She flicked her eyes back to Hermione. "He doesn't remember who you are?"

Hermione shook her head and Fleur's eyes widened. There was silence in the room for a few awkward seconds before it was broken by Healer Johnson clearing his throat.

"Mr Malfoy seems very…protective of Healer Granger whom he believes is his Mate."

It was the first time anyone had spoken the fact out loud and hearing it in such an indifferent tone had Hermione's heckles rising.

"A Veela will be on guard until the bonding ceremony is complete and then she calms down. Although I'm not sure if that will be the case in this situation." Fleur said as she followed Malfoy's slithering fingers.

Embarrassed, Hermione tried to shift her body so Malfoy's fingers would slip from her skin but with Dominique on her lap, there was no such luck. Malfoy's annoyed growl however, showed he didn't appreciate her trying.

Hermione was about to snarkily ask Fleur her earlier question on whether she was 100% positive there had never been a case of mistaken identity when it came to a Veela finding his Mate when Bill apparated into the kitchen.

"Daddy!" Dominique squealed.

Hermione managed to see a momentary flicker of surprise on Bill's face when he saw his guests before her vision was obscured by Malfoy's wings wrapping around her and Dominique.

The little girl let out a cry of fright and Hermione shifted her body to look at Malfoy angrily. "What are you doing? Back down- it's only Bill."

Malfoy's head cocked to the side in confusion as he apparently studied Bill. "I sense…wolf."

Hermione sighed out in frustration as Dominique huddled further into her body. With her arms, she tried to soothe the girl but she kept her eyes on Malfoy.

"Bill was attacked by that wolf Greyback in our sixth year- no thanks to you for letting them into the castle with that bloody cupboard, now stop it. You're scaring Dominique."

Malfoy looked down at her, obviously having no idea what she was talking about. Hermione gritted her teeth but couldn't bring herself to apologise yet. She kept the steely expression over her face. She was surprised when Malfoy completely ignored her and turned back to study Bill critically.

Hermione sighed. Raising her voice- she spoke to Bill. "Um Bill- could you just tell him that you aren't going to harm me?"

There was a moment of silence before Bill spoke. "Of course I'm not going to hurt you. What's going on? Fleur?"

Malfoy studied Bill for a short moment before Hermione breathed in a sigh of relief as his wings settled back. She let Dominique off her lap and watched her run over to her mother where Fleur cuddled her.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed to Fleur.

Fleur smiled and shook her head but Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty. One thing was certain- it was most definitely time to leave.

"Maybe it would be best if we leave. I still have a few more questions but if you would permit me to Owl you?" Healer Johnson said to Fleur as if he had read Hermione's mind.

Fleur smiled and nodded her head. With the help of her husband, Fleur managed to lift her body off the chair and she walked over to Hermione, keeping a careful eye on Malfoy as she neared.

"Could I have a word- in private?" she said.

Hermione nearly let out a yell in thanks. She turned to face Malfoy and gave him a stern look. "I'm going to have a word with Fleur. A private word. Stay here."

Malfoy growled and Hermione actually, to her everlasting embarrassment, lost her temper and stomped her foot on the ground. "I mean it Malf-Veela! You already know Fleur isn't going to hurt me."

And without looking to see how Malfoy took her words, she stormed out of the room. Thankfully, Fleur followed her. The two walked in silence until they were down on the beach and Hermione hoped they were far enough for no-one to overhear their conversation.

"Hermione- what's going on?" Fleur asked her, the worry in her tone coming out freely now that they were alone.

Hermione turned to face her. "I don't know. Malfoy thinks I'm his _Mate_! He keeps on trying to _bond _with me and I don't know how to stop it!"

"You haven't bonded with him have you?" Fleur asked quickly.

Hermione wrinkled her noise and gave her a disgusted look. "Of course I haven't done it! Who do you think I am? Just because he's lost his mind doesn't mean I have. I just need to figure out a cure…or something."

She watched Fleur hesitate. "Have you thought that maybe he's not crazy?"

Hermione blinked twice. "What? He has to be- it can't possibly be true."

Fleur's hesitation grew. "I suppose- I mean as long as you can't smell the bonding scent then everything is fine."

Hermione's entire body actually jerked when Fleur said those words.

The French witch looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh Hermione, you haven't smelt the bonding scent have you?"

Hermione quickly shook her head. "Of course I haven't…I don't even know what a bonding scent _is _let alone what it smells like."

"It's an individual scent that each Veela emits. It's another marker of how they know they've found their Mate. The Mate will be able to smell the distinctive scent and it prepares their body for when they are going to have sex. Hermione…"

"N-No. I haven't. I-It has to be his cologne." Hermione denied as she remembered the musky citrusy smell she had smelt earlier. And then the pessimistic voice in her mind reminded her about how she wasn't allowed to wear perfume because it interfered with the patient's hypersensitive smell.

Fleur grabbed her arm as she swayed. "Hermione…Please tell me you haven't smelt Malfoy's bonding scent!"

_Dear Merlin. _

"I-I it can't be. It has to be something else. There's no way- it can't be!" She said quickly as wave after wave of dread hit her.

Fleur drew Hermione's body to her and Hermione hugged the older witch tightly. "It will be okay. Maybe Malfoy's Veela is different?" Fleur said optimistically.

Hermione closed her eyes as the reality sunk in. Her life as she knew it was going to change no matter how much she tried to deny it.

She allowed herself to wallow in her rapidly rising self -pity for two minutes before she gathered herself. Now wasn't the time for pity. It was the time to arm herself with information.

"Malfoy was in a coma and my blood was the only thing that could bring him out of it."

"I'm not 100% sure but it could be because your blood carries your scent."

"_I have a bonding scent?!_"

"It's not a bonding scent per se. But it's powerfully addictive to a Veela."

"Addictive. Malfoy's addicted to the smell of my blood." Hermione stated woodenly. _As if it couldn't get any worse! _

"Maybe addicted is the wrong word. It's an aphrodisiac. What do you know of Veela's mating rituals?"

Hermione shook her head. "Practically nothing. They didn't exactly teach us that in Care of Magical Creatures!"

Fleur rubbed her arm in a soothing motion. "For Veela's, when they are having sex with their Mate, they like to bite when they…orgasm. The smell of their Mate's blood helps push them over the edge as it were."

Correction. _It could get worse! _Hermione couldn't take in the information coming out of Fleur's mouth.

"Without regular exposure to their Mate's blood once they've found them- they can weaken physically as one form of sustenance for the Veela is being denied to them."

"Please tell me that you're not saying I have to let Malfoy _bite me_ to keep him out of a coma! I absolutely refuse-"

"Hermione- what I'm telling you is for a female Veela. Please try to remember that it may be different for Malfoy. He's already different physically- this could be different too."

Hermione swallowed the bile rising in her throat and forced herself to breathe in the crisp sea air. She turned to face the water and watched the reflection of the rising moon on its surface. After a minute, she dragged her fingers through her hair and turned back to Fleur. The witch was rubbing her distended stomach and looking at Hermione with a sad expression on her face.

This couldn't be good for the baby, Hermione realised. She swallowed the million other questions she had and smiled. "We should go back inside. You shouldn't get stressed. It's not good for the baby."

Fleur waved a dismissing hand. "The baby is fine. I'm more worried about you. What are you going to do?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have no idea. I can't believe this is happening to me. Zabini said that until I bond with Malfoy- he'll be following me around everywhere. That's what I need to deal with first. One problem at a time."

Fleur didn't look convinced at her plan. Hermione wasn't either but she couldn't deal with the rest of it tonight.

In silence, the two walked back up to the cottage.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Bill asked as soon as they stepped back into the kitchen.

Hermione nodded. "I don't think I'll be able to come over for dinner for a while. I'll owl Molly but please tell her I'm sorry." She told him.

Bill nodded but kept his silence as the congregation in the kitchen stood from their various seats and began shuffling out of the room. After saying her final goodbye to Bill and Fleur and getting Dominique to douse her face in kisses, the group made their way back to the apparation point, Malfoy flanking her once again, and they apparated back to the Manor in silence.

ooo

It seemed all hell had broken loose when they apparated back to the Manor. Dozens of Auror's were walking around, chattering loudly and giving out orders.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked one of the passing Auror's loudly.

"There was a leak. Somehow the public found out the location of the Manor and a group has gathered outside the boundary of the wards." The Auror told her in a hurried voice.

"What do they want?"

The Auror looked at her. "They think they're not safe. They're angry that the prisoners haven't been sent back to Azkaban but are being put up here by the Ministry. They want them gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone." The Auror repeated in a deathly final tone. "And not just back to Azkaban."

_Oh…_

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. As always, there was still a reader who asked for a sneak peak when they've disabled the PM feature. So if you wanted a sneak peak and didn't get one- you know what to change for this time around! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and cheers for the tips on breaking my little nasty habit. As always, please state outright if you want a sneak peak of the next chapter. Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _

_P.S. I've been thinking up names on what I can call this new population of half humans half creatures for the next chapter. I think I know what I'm going to use but I'm still interested in knowing if you can come up with anything better that what's in my head!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione looked around the large conference room table and she wasn't sure on how she had been shuffled into this room or even why, but been shuffled she had. She had followed Healer Johnson and silently sat in the seat next to his as a few more people walked into the room before the doors were closed.

She was surprised to see Kingsley take a seat near the head of the table and she shared a worried smile with the wizard_. Merlin- just how big was this group that had gathered outside the boundary of the wards?_ This was beginning to look serious if the Head of the Auror Department was present and looking so grave.

As more residents of the Manor took their seats, Hermione spotted Padma. She had been one of the last to be brought into the room and Hermione saw her colleague sweep an assessing eye over the room's occupants…and over where the empty seats lay.

Only two remained. One next to Zabini…And one next to James Rosier.

Hermione could actually sense the gears churning away in Padma's head as she furiously debated on which seat to take. Hermione flicked her gaze between the two wizards, wondering vaguely what she would do if she was in Padma's place. She was glad she wasn't. Interestingly, when she turned her head to look at James, he was looking at Padma with the same level of intensity as Zabini.

Hermione frowned before her eyebrows rose as Padma made her decision. With her eyes on the floor, the witch quickly darted to the left and settled uncomfortably onto the seat next to the part werewolf before she firmly settled her gaze on Kingsley and refused to look anywhere in Zabini's direction.

Hermione bit her lip as she saw Zabini's jaw tick slightly and James's answering grin at the small action.

_What in Merlin's name was going on there?_

She _really_ needed to have that talk with Padma. And then a snippet of conversation drifted into her memory.

_…I've seen him watching me sometimes..._

It had been when she and Padma had gone out for lunch after her first night on the Ward. Padma had been talking about James and she'd said the words in passing before quickly shaking them off and changing the subject. Hermione had thought nothing of it at the time but now...

She jerked in her seat as Malfoy's palm curled around the nape of her neck. Her teeth gritted as she felt his warmth seep into her skin but she kept quiet. She didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone…although they definitely needed to have a discussion tonight on what was _or wasn't_ acceptable.

As the final Auror took his seat, an expectant hush fell across the room as Kingsley stood. Every head turned towards the wizard as he addressed the room in his deep, baritone voice.

"As I'm sure you are all aware of by now, the location of the Manor has been compromised. We have yet to determine the leak but we have more important matters to deal with at present. The group that has gathered outside the boundary of the wards is growing by the minute. Whilst the wards will protect the residents and the gatherers themselves from either party- the matter needs to be dealt with urgently."

"Can't we just move location? Surely there is another Manor that the Ministry can provide for us?" said a vampire.

Kingsley shook his head. "A lot of preparation went into preparing this location. And since the leak has yet to be determined, moving to a new location would prove useless. But that isn't the key problem facing us. If there is any hope of the residents of the Manor assimilating back into society, then public opinion will need to change."

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And what's to say they aren't right? Technically these residents are still Death Eaters and criminals."

There were snarls and growls from the residents as every head turned to face the Auror who had spoken. The wizard immediately looked defensive. A crackle of angry energy spread across the room and Hermione felt Malfoy's fingers stop their stroking and clamp down tensely.

"No matter who the resident's may be- our job as Auror's is to ensure their safety. If you have a problem with this Auror Lovelook, then please tell me now so I can ask you to leave this room." Kingsley stated.

Auror Lovelook flushed before quickly shaking his head. The action was enough for Kingsley to continue but many of the room's occupants didn't take their glares off the man.

"What is their problem with us?" Zabini asked calmly.

Kingsley turned to him. "There are a number of oppositions. The first is that the Ministry is funding your stay at the Manor. The second is that many find it unfair on how your sentences are due to be overturned. The third is that they are unsure of your new abilities and whether their lives may be jeopardy."

Hermione hated to think it but she could see how some Wizarding folk would have those thoughts when they hadn't been able to see first-hand the torture that had been inflicted onto these patients.

"We must work on building relations with the public. I'm hoping that for the majority, their oppositions stem from fear of the unknown rather than hate. If they see that you mean them no harm and that you no longer have your…criminal tendencies…then hopefully they will leave you alone."

"And how are you planning on showing the _little defenceless humans_ that we mean them no harm?" James asked with a smirk on his face.

Kingsley studied him. Surprisingly, it was Zabini who spoke. "We do not harm the humans." He stated in a final tone.

"The Ministry is still debating on how to proceed in regards to your situation." Kingsley hedged. Hermione frowned at his words. _What did that mean?_ "They are unsure if you consider yourselves humans or the creatures you have been…mixed with. The laws for both are quite different."

Hermione piped up. "Why do they have to be one or the other? It's obvious that they aren't fully human anymore but it's also obvious that they aren't fully like the creatures whose DNA they now hold. Shouldn't a new set of laws be drafted for them?"

She didn't realise the stares she held until she looked away from Kingsley's small smile and glanced around the room.

"I agree with Healer Granger." Hanz said. "Wizarding Law may not entirely protect us because we are no longer fully human and since some of us have yet to learn how to control our changes, the laws regarding the magical creatures will not protect us either."

Kingsley nodded. "Unfortunately, there is no Ministry representative present tonight but I will put forward Miss Granger's suggestion and also make it known that the idea has my full backing. However, it would also be useful if the residents appointed a "leader" of sorts who could act as the figure head for all public relations and who would oversee the decisions being made. That also being said…if you consider yourselves not humans and not creatures, then a decision will need to be made on what you wish to call yourselves."

"I answer to no _vampire_." James spat out, completely ignoring the last part of Kingsley's sentence.

"Like a _dog_ would be good enough for the job." replied a vampire.

_Oh dear…this was not going to go well. _

Kingsley pushed back his chair. "Perhaps this would be a discussion better taking place when all residents of the Manor are present and the Auror's and medical staff are not." His words were directed to Zabini who nodded singularly.

At that, all the non-residents stood from their seats. Malfoy's hand didn't drop from her shoulder as she shuffled back.

Hermione looked up at him and she spoke stiffly. "I'll just be outside the room waiting. We need to talk."

Malfoy studied her closely for a moment before he ran a claw from its original place curled around her shoulder, all the way down to her wrist. "My Mate will not run." He ordered instead of asking.

Hermione had to force herself not to roll her eyes. "I'm not going to run. Like I said, we need to talk."

Malfoy nodded once and stepped back. Hermione quickly stepped around him and followed the small group of people out of the door.

ooo

Hermione dropped down onto the step of the stairs on which Padma was already sitting. "I can't believe this is actually happening." The witch sighed out as she leaned heavily against the handrail.

Hermione exhaled. "Me neither."

Padma bit her lip. "Do you'll think they'll manage to appoint a leader?"

Hermione shrugged minutely. "If they want to move on and integrate into society then Kingsley's plan of a sole figurehead may help. It might make people think that there's some order here instead a bunch of half human half creatures running amok."

Padma shifted as she turned her body around to face her. "I heard about what happened with Malfoy. Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Hermione swallowed and shook her head. As if a heavy weight had landed on it, her head tipped forward and hit her bent knees. She brought up her hands and massaged the knots out of her stiff shoulders and neck. "Merlin Padma- I think Malfoy is right."

She heard Padma's tight intake of breath. "That you're his Mate?"

Hermione nodded solemnly.

"So…it's actually possible?" Padma asked.

Hermione nodded again. "We went to see Fleur. She explained a few things that I didn't know…on how Veela's know who their Mates are." Hermione groaned before she continued. "Merlin, I haven't even told you yet. Malfoy doesn't even know who he is or who I am. He wants me to call him _Veela_."

Padma's eyebrows disappeared into her hair. "_Merlin._" She breathed out. "What did Healer Johnson say? He's lost his memory?" she asked in a confused tone.

"We haven't had time to do another assessment on him yet. We went straight to Fleur's cottage. And I don't know if it's a lost memory or what…It just makes this situation all the more ridiculous. I mean, you can't tell me that if Malfoy remembered who he was, he would actually want _me_ of all witches as his Mate. There is no way he would blindly accept it like he is doing now."

Padma shifted uncomfortably. "You never know. Even if he did remember who you were…that you fought on the other side of the War to him…that you battled each other at Hogwarts…that you'd never exchanged a single word during your school years because you knew who he was and he knew who you were…maybe despite all that…it could happen." She finished in a whisper.

Hermione lifted her head. "Okay that's it. You have to tell me what's going on between you and Zabini…and James."

Alarm flashed across Padma's features. "Of course there's nothing go on between me and Blaise!" she denied quickly. "Or James!" she added in a squeak.

"You do realise that you just called him Blaise. And that it wasn't the first time." Hermione pointed out gently.

Padma took in a deep breath which she held as she looked at Hermione. And then suddenly she shook her head as her fingers swiped over a small spot on her neck. "I can't. It…just…no." she ended lamely.

Hermione reached out a hand and squeezed Padma's palm in solidarity. "Did something happen between the two of you?" she asked softly so they wouldn't be overheard.

Padma had just opened her mouth when Kingsley stepped up to them. Hermione let go of Padma's hand, not missing the other witch's relieved look at the interruption, and she turned to face her friend.

"I was informed about the incident that occurred between you and Mr Malfoy earlier this evening. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Kingsley said.

Hermione nodded her head. "I'm fine." She said with a small smile.

Kingsley saw right through her. "We will talk once we have dealt with the official business."

Hermione merely nodded her head before Kingsley walked away and she slumped against Padma. "Why does it feel like I'm losing control of my own life?"

Padma snorted softly, evidently feeling in the same boat although she tried to put an optimistic spin on things. "It could be worse." She piped up in a tone so cheery that it rang obviously false.

"How so?" Hermione asked.

Padma sighed beside her. "…I have no idea."

ooo

They were sat on the stairs for a full thirty-three minutes before the door re-opened and they were invited back in. Malfoy stalked her every step until she'd resumed her seat and his hand was back around her neck. His thumb dug into the sensitive muscle and he somehow found the sore points she had missed when she had tried her own massage. She couldn't keep from slumping slightly in her seat as she relaxed.

"I take it you have agreed as to who will represent you to the public?" Kingsley said.

There was a short moment of impeding silence before both Zabini and James stood from their seats, eyeing each other as they did so.

Hermione looked between the two of them in confusion.

"We have decided that at least two leaders would be required. Rosier will tend to the interests of the part werewolves whilst I will look after the interests of the vampires."

"And what if your views are conflicting?" Kingsley questioned.

"We agreed that we would not make any decision without the full backing of the other."

Kingsley looked between them and Hermione knew what he was thinking. That this was just never going to work. Maybe if they had settled on Hanz to represent the part werewolves but James…

"Very well." Kingsley said eventually. "Have you decided what to call yourselves? The derogatory term "half- breeds" is being bandied around at the moment. I think it best if we change that as soon as possible."

Zabini nodded but it was James who spoke. "Tenebris seminio."

Hermione frowned at the words she didn't understand. She began to rack through the little Latin she knew but she had no need.

"Tenebris seminio? The dark breed?" Padma said in a small voice.

Hermione watched her friend shift uneasily when she saw that she was now the main focus of the room. Both Zabini and James were looking down at her and Padma quickly looked away from them, finding a friendly face when she turned to glance at Hermione.

"There was a Latin textbook at the library in Hogwarts…" Her explanation apparently wasn't enough to divert attention from her and she continued in an even smaller voice as her cheeks blushed a dark red. "…I spent a lot of time in the library."

Zabini's blank face remained blank but he didn't look away from Padma. James on the other hand, had a small smile on his face.

"The dark breed…Tenebris seminio? This is what you wish to name yourselves?" Kingsley asked.

"Why not? They're already calling us half-breeds." A werewolf piped up before a vampire continued. "Changing the word half to Tenebris shouldn't be too difficult- even for them."

Most of the former prisoner's around the table laughed spitefully.

"The name is suitable." Zabini said plainly.

From across the table James nodded, his expression suddenly very serious. "We were living in darkness. We were created in darkness. And we rose from the darkness. If they wish to refer to us then they can call us the Tenebris ones."

_The dark ones._ Hermione mulled over the name in her head. Whilst the name might be suitable- it wasn't exactly going to endear the new population to the rest of the Wizarding World. She debated on whether she should point the fact out but decided against it.

"Very well." Kingsley said as he swiftly moved the meeting forward. "Have you made a decision regarding how you will familiarise the Wizarding World to your presence?"

James scoffed. "We aren't going to be doing any fucking press releases. We aren't here for them to ogle at. They should be concentrating on printing stories about the fuckers who did this to us." he spat out.

A ringing silence followed in the moments after his tirade.

"We have decided that it would be best to have a singular reporter communicate with us. This way we can ensure we know what will be written about us and it will be easier to control."

Hermione looked from Zabini to a disgruntled James.

"I take it you disagree on this decision." Kingsley stated unnecessarily.

"Yes." James said shortly before grinding his teeth and continuing. "But like we said earlier. We _both_ agreed on the final decision. Even though I think we're inviting trouble where it isn't needed."

"Obviously we will need to find someone who won't deceive us." Zabini spoke.

The task seemed impossible. Whilst recently the papers and magazines had taken to doing some actual reporting about the so called "Azkaban Scandal" it hadn't been like that in a long while. Ever since the original owner of the Daily Prophet and his family had passed away during the War, the wizard's newspaper legacy had passed to a distant cousin. Unfortunately, said cousin had decided to turn the once respectable newspaper into a laughing stock by turning it into a trashy tabloid.

And despite ten years passing- most people were still reeling financially from the War and no-one had decided to set up another newspaper when the trashy tabloids were much cheaper to produce and sold so well.

From the look on Kingsley's face, he was thinking along the same lines as Hermione.

"Parvati could do it." Padma told Kingsley. Hermione turned to face her as she continued. "She's in Egypt at the moment, tracing a lead for something. But I'm sure she could get leave from her job in France to work with us. I can promise she won't say anything."

As much of a shock as it may be, Hermione knew Padma's words to be true. The majority of the Wizarding World in England had changed after enduring the War. Others had changed a lot. And Parvati fell in the latter category. After Lavender's death, Parvati had completely shed her more undesirable traits.

Despite the worries of her parents, she'd accepted a journalism position with a newspaper in France and her once famed nosy nose had been put to a good use as she'd dug and dug until she'd unearthed story after story. Hermione even remembered Padma once mentioning that her sister had won a top journalistic prize on a story she'd written about a ring of witches and wizards from South America being involved in dragon smuggling.

Mr and Mrs Patil hadn't known whether to be proud of their daughter for exposing those involved or horrified that she'd actually gone undercover in such a dangerous situation.

In four words. _She would be perfect._

"Who is this witch?" James demanded, his tone holding its usual mistrustfulness.

Padma glanced at him. "She's my sister."

Hermione frowned in confusion at the look that fell over James's face. He looked floored at the information which she found strange. Yes he had been in his seventh year of Hogwarts when Hermione, along with the Patil twins had entered the doors of the school for the first time, but Hermione thought that everyone knew who the Patil twins were.

"Very well. I will ask the Ministry to contact her officially but perhaps if you sent her an Owl yourself, she might be more receptive to the sensitivity of the situation." Kingsley said.

Padma nodded her head. There was silence once more as it dawned on everyone that everything that needed to be discussed had been. Hermione was thankful the meeting was over and she just about managed to contain her yawn even though it made her eyes water at the effort.

She stood from her seat and followed the room's occupants out of the doors. Everyone gathered in the Manor's atrium and Hermione shook her head as she saw Padma talking to Healer Johnson unaware that behind her, Zabini and James were both flanking her and eyeing each other. Hermione could see James's smirk but what was more surprising was that she could make out Zabini's tightly clenched jaw.

"Hermione," Kingsley called out her name and she turned to face him. He walked up to her, sizing up Malfoy who was standing behind her with his hand still resting around the curve of her neck. Hermione stiffened slightly as she realised that she had forgotten about that small fact. She jerked to get Malfoy to let go before Kingsley reached them but it was no use. "I was hoping we could have that talk…In private." Kingsley continued.

"I go where my Mate goes." Malfoy said from behind her.

Sensing the tension, Padma and Healer Johnson broke off their conversation and walked over to them.

Hermione, knowing there was no way she was going to shake Malfoy off, looked at Kingsley tiredly. "I'm really fine Kingsley. I'll Owl you tomorrow." She said pointedly.

Picking up on her words, Kingsley nodded before walking away. Hermione slumped tiredly and this time she couldn't contain her yawn.

"My Mate is tired. We retire. Now."

For once, Hermione was in agreement with Malfoy's plan. Retiring sounded like a very good idea. She quickly told Healer Johnson that she would see him tomorrow for her shift before she turned to Padma so the two could walk back to their cottage. Only Malfoy's hold on her shoulder stopped her from walking more than two steps.

"Where does my Mate think she is going?"

Hermione twisted around and Malfoy's hand dropped down. "Back to my cottage so I can get some sleep. It's been a long day."

_…More like a long evening. A long, hellish evening. _

"My Mate sleeps with me!"

_The hell she does! _

"You have to be joking? I am not sleeping in the same bed as you! I'm not even sleeping in the same _room_ as you!"

Malfoy growled threateningly and Hermione snapped. Her wand whipped out of its own accord and she jabbed it in Malfoy's direction.

"Healer Granger!" she heard Healer Johnson say in a panicked voice.

"Do not push me Mr Malfoy. I have not been having a good night and all I want is to get some sleep so this day can be over!"

"My Mate sleeps in my bed or Veela sleeps in hers."

"_Stop calling me your Mate!_ I have a _name_ for Merlin's sake!"

"I think everyone needs to calm down." Healer Johnson said.

"My Mate can teach me her name. Tonight. When we are in bed."

Hermione screamed out loudly in her head. "I swear to Merlin, Malfoy…Veela…whatever you want to be called. If you touch me, I'll take you back to Azkaban myself."

Malfoy merely lifted an arrogant eyebrow and said nothing. As seconds passed, she grew tense as he continued to do nothing but stare at her. And then her nose tickled. And then she took in a breath and her nose was filled with the smell of musk and oranges. Her body reacted immediately with her muscles loosening, her breaths coming out in little pants and her body flushing with warmth.

She swallowed tightly, her tongue feeling thick and dry. And then she felt her knickers wet and her body begin to throb.

"No." she whispered out hoarsely.

Through a dizzy head, she heard other voices speak to her.

"What's going on? Hermione- are you okay?" "Healer Granger- are you feeling unwell?" "What's happening to her?"

Her arm lashed out and came to rest on Malfoy's chest. She fisted his robes in her palm tightly as another wave of heat washed over her.

_Give in…_

"No- stop it Malfoy!" she managed to choke out. Her words sounded so slurred it was as if she'd spent the evening drinking.

"Malfoy- what are you doing to her?" "Stop it!" "Get him to stop!" "Mr Malfoy!"

Hermione's legs gave out and her body fell in the direction of where the addicting smell was coming from. She felt Malfoy's arm begin to curl around her as he hauled her up his body. And then another pair of hands snagged around her waist and she was wrenched away.

Her head swam at the swift motion but the smell immediately began clearing. It didn't take very long until she was breathing relatively normally again. Trying to control the panting motion of her chest, she lifted her head.

Malfoy stood in front of her, his wings outstretched and his eyes so dark and inky they looked bottomless. Hermione was thankful she wasn't on the receiving end of that stare. That pleasure was on the person standing behind her.

A scary sounding growl. "Release my Mate…Now."

Hermione looked at Malfoy with her breath held tightly in her chest. She didn't especially want to be released but she knew the direction in which this conversation was heading and she had no desire to prolong her night by an extra few hours because she was yet again, making a statement to the Auror's.

She brushed at the hands that were touching her. "Look at me Veela." She said though gritted teeth. She waited impatiently until she had Malfoy's full attention. "Calm down." She said before waiting impatiently for that too. She didn't continue until his wings had relaxed and retreated somewhat. And then she let rip. "Don't try and use that Veela scent thing on me again. That's the second time you've tried to do it. Drugging someone for sex is illegal!"

Malfoy actually had the audacity to smile at her words! He shook his head as if she was a little child and he found her antics funny. "Veela wasn't trying to drug his Mate. It is only the bonding scent."

"Well stop emitting it! I don't want to bond with you! And smelling that scent makes me too fuzzy to think clearly."

"My Mate thinks too much."

Hermione let out her own growl and she hissed out her words. "Look Malfoy! I think I've been pretty forgiving of your actions up until now. But if you don't stop acting like a bloody Neanderthal then I have no problem letting the Auror's take you back to Azkaban so you leave me alone."

Malfoy's head tilted to the side. "Veela has also forgiven his Mate for cursing him...twice."

Hermione's shook in frustration. "That wasn't the point I was making!"

"I think everyone should take in a deep breath." Healer Johnson said.

Hermione turned to the wizard and saw his face was pale and beads of sweat had appeared on his brow. She suddenly felt bad for making him look so ill and she forced herself to take in calming gulps of air.

Zabini spoke in his usual detached tone. "Veela. Things are different here. There are laws you must follow. Purposely using your bonding scent to get your Mate to agree with you is…frowned upon."

Hermione had been purposely not looking at Malfoy but couldn't stop her head from whipping in his direction when she heard those words. She sent Zabini an evil look along the way. "It isn't just frowned upon. It's illegal!"

Malfoy looked at her in confusion. "Veela does not understand. Mate will smell the scent anyway."

"But you're doing this on purpose!" Hermione ground out.

"…Tell him it doesn't make you happy." She heard Padma whisper.

"What?" Hermione frowned.

"It's a theory. Just try it."

"It may work." Hanz piped in.

Damn that hypersensitive hearing!

Hermione gritted her teeth but turned back to Malfoy. From the stony look on his face, she knew he already knew what she was about to tell him.

"You using your bonding scent on me as some kind of weapon doesn't make me happy."

Malfoy's jaw clenched as he held her stare for a few long moments. Eventually, he spoke. "Very well, Mate. Veela will stop this."

Hermione actually smiled. _Was that it?_ Was this the way to get Malfoy off her back? By telling him that he wasn't making her happy?

"…But make no mistake, Mate. Do not think you can use those words as your own weapon against me."

Well that shot that idea down then. But at least she had made some headway.

"I hate to point this out-" James began to say in a voice that made it obvious he was loving pointing out whatever he was about to "- but the question still remains as to where Healer Granger is going to be spending the night."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "I am absolutely not sleeping in the same bed as him. He's still my patient for Merlin's sake or has everyone forgotten that little fact? It's completely unprofessional."

"A compromise will have to be reached." Zabini stated.

Hermione sighed as she sent an angry look Malfoy's way. Compromise was a word she was beginning to hate with every bit of magic in her body.

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter (my longest to date!). Unfortunately the wait for the next chapter might be a little longer than usual. My family recieved some bad news regarding one of my relatives who lives out of the country. We're still waiting to hear more information about the situation but if it's serious, it may require me flying out of London for a little while and there won't be any proper internet connection where I'll be heading. Which means for the first time ever, I won't be able to respond to your lovely reviews to say thank you or offer any sneak peaks of the next chapter. So I'd like to say thank you in advance! As always, cheers for reading and Until next time, Curiositykils. _


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione was stewing instead of sleeping. She couldn't believe this was the compromise that had been reached between her and Malfoy. In her opinion, the word compromise was being used very unfairly. Whilst she had outright refused to share a bed with Malfoy, the compromise brokered _for her_ was that they would still share a room but with separate beds.

_Hardly an adequate compromise! _

She let out an annoyed huff for the fifth time and turned her body to the side in a bid to get in a comfortable position. Her eyes felt like they were being stabbed repeatedly with tiny little knives and were screaming for relief. Hermione was trying to give them what they wanted but her brain refused to drift off into unconsciousness when she was in Malfoy's presence.

It being eleven "o" clock at night, he was completely awake as he sat in his own bed and stared at her. Whilst he had graciously given up the four poster Hermione had been pinned to earlier and taken the temporary cot that had been set up until a bigger room was found for the two of them, Hermione realised she would have preferred to sleep in the tiny little cot than this huge bed. At least then there would be no potential room for Malfoy to slither in when she drifted off...

Getting annoyed once again, she flopped over until she was resting on her other side. Her eyes fell on the darkened image of Malfoy sitting upright. She couldn't see the smile on his lips but imagined it to be there when he spoke.

"My Mate is having difficulty in sleeping. Veela can help with that problem."

Hermione ignored him and closed her tired eyes as she tried to block out his existence. When she heard his soft chuckle, she snapped them open again.

She let out annoyed huff number six. Malfoy's chuckle only deepened at the noise. Hermione's response was to flop onto her back so she wasn't looking at him anymore. The duvet felt so heavy over her body but she dared not remove it.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep.

Hermione repeated the mantra in her head but it only caused her brain to work overtime as it began saying the words as quickly as possible in a continuous loop. Sighing, she pressed the heel of her palms into her eye pockets and watched the burst of colours appear behind her eyelids.

"Does Mate want Veela to get her a Sleeping Potion?"

Hermione re-opened her eyes as she turned her head back to Malfoy. "A _potion_ isn't the thing I need to get to sleep." She said viciously.

She watched Malfoy's body lean forward. "Mate only needs to ask for Veela's help." He said. The words came out in a lascivious growl and Hermione looked at him in disgust, conscious that with his advanced eyesight, he would be able to pick it up through the dimness.

She replied through her teeth. "I _meant_ that I would be able to go to sleep just fine if you weren't in the same room as me, staring at me!"

"Veela must protect his Mate."

Hermione groaned out in frustration. "The only person I need protecting from is you! My wand works perfectly well on every other person in this Manor."

"Then why did Mate not protect herself from the other Tenebris ones when they attacked her?" he demanded to know angrily.

Hermione thought back to the "attack". She couldn't believe it had only been yesterday afternoon. So much had happened since then. "They were my patient's Malfoy. I was protecting myself with defensive spells so they wouldn't be harmed further."

She took in a tight breath when Malfoy suddenly stood from his cot and walked over to her. She immediately lifted herself onto her arms but Malfoy still loomed over her dangerously.

"Veela told Mate there would be consequences if she called him by another's name." he growled out.

Hermione snatched her wand off the bedside table. "Don't you dare touch me." She warned him. "And I'm calling you Malfoy because that's your name. You just can't remember it! If you did then believe me, none of this would be happening!"

Malfoy's head descended further and Hermione immediately retreated back away from him, the tip of her wand pressing tightly against the skin of his chest. Surprisingly, he made no moves to unfurl his wings and protect himself from her. His hand came up and the move was familiar. She shrank back further from his clawed fingers before they could stroke her cheek.

"Don't touch me." She repeated with clenched teeth.

Malfoy's hand halted mid-air before he dropped it onto the duvet beside her body. He straightened his back but made no move to retreat back to his own space and instead he took to studying her. Hermione didn't move or even breathe. And then finally, he spoke.

"One day Mate, you will be _begging_ Veela to touch you."

He said the words so confidently, Hermione scoffed at his presumptuous attitude. "I wouldn't bet your Gringotts vault on that."

Malfoy chuckled as he moved back to his own bed. "Veela is pleased his Mate is so amusing." He said as he sat down in his previous position.

Hermione let out annoyed huff number seven. "My name is not _Mate_. It's Hermione. If we're going to have to keep living in each other's pockets until you get your memory back and see this for the farce it is, then I suggest you start using it. I won't answer to _Mate_."

"But until now, you have done so." Malfoy pointed out.

"Well I won't anymore!"

"Very well…Hermione." Malfoy said in an amused tone.

"…Very well." She said snootily.

And then with Malfoy's chuckles still reverberating in her ear, Hermione turned her body away from him once more and closed her eyes.

Surprisingly, she slept.

ooo

When Hermione woke eight hours later, Malfoy was sleeping peacefully on his back. She silently got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. She quickly took care of her morning ablations and when she made to tiptoe back into the bedroom again, she saw there was no need.

Malfoy was sitting upright in his bed and for once, he looked very sleepy indeed. Realising she was staring at him, Hermione brushed down her robes and walked over to make her bed.

"What are you doing up? Didn't you just fall asleep?" she asked him.

"Veela made himself sleep throughout the night so he could awake with his Mat…his Hermione."

Hermione sighed at the possessive pronoun but really didn't feel like getting into an argument this early in the morning when the rest of the Manor's occupants were undoubtedly still asleep. She looked at him with crossed arms.

"I have a shift at the Ward until seven tonight. You can go back to sleep." She told him.

"If my Hermione is awake then Veela will be awake."

Hermione sighed again. "I'm just saying that there really isn't any point. I'll be at work anyway. You might as well get your rest. You only woke up from your coma yesterday."

"Hermione is concerned about Veela's health?" Malfoy asked with a pleased expression.

Hermione quickly shot him down. "I'm your Healer so yes; I'm concerned about one of my patient's health."

The pleased expression slipped off his face. The two looked at each in silence for a few short moments before Hermione broke it, realising Malfoy wasn't going to listen to anything she said. "Well I can only advise. Do whatever you wish to do but I'm going to work."

"Veela's Hermione has not eaten the morning meal."

Hermione looked back at him from over her shoulder. "I don't really like eating this early. And I'm not _your_ Hermione."

Malfoy frowned at the information. "Veela's Hermione must eat. She will eat with Veela."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "I just told you that I don't feel well if I eat this early." She turned back around, her fingers already twisting around the doorknob so she could leave the room.

"Veela dreamt of Hermione's touch." Malfoy said in a soft, faraway voice.

Hermione froze and she turned around with a small frown. "Pardon?" _Had she heard him right?_

"Veela dreamt of his Hermione's touch." He repeated.

Hermione felt an unwanted flush burn her cheeks. _She didn't want to hear about Malfoy's perverted dreams! Why was he telling her this?!_

"I don't think this is an appropriate topic of conversation." She said in a tone that made her sound like a prim, old school marm.

"Hermione was touching his hand. Stroking his skin." He continued in that same soft voice. "It was the first time Veela's Mate had touched him…willingly."

Hermione breathed out slowly as she realised what he was talking about. He had dreamt of when she'd been carrying out Healer Johnson's plan back in St Mungo's. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "When you were in the coma, we weren't sure how to bring you out of it. Healer Johnson thought that maybe my…touch would."

Malfoy stalked over to her until she was looking up at him. "Again." He demanded.

"What?"

"Veela liked it. Do it again."

Hermione let out a nervous sound. "Look Veela. I don't think this-"

"Please."

Hermione froze at the unexpected word. She looked up at Malfoy with wide eyes. Merlin- he was actually _asking_ her for something instead of doing his usual demanding and banging fists on chest routine.

She swallowed and ran her tongue over her dry lips. Malfoy's eyes dropped to follow the motion and Hermione quickly pulled her tongue back into the hidden safety of her mouth.

"Veela…I really have to get to work."

"Hermione's shift starts in twenty-six minutes. She has time." He pointed out. How he knew what time her shift started she had no idea.

Hermione swallowed again, her mind running wild on how she could get out of this. The angel on her shoulder piped up.

_It's only touching his hand…It was no intimate than a handshake…And maybe if she did this then she would have some leverage the next time Malfoy asked her for something or did something she didn't like. _

And so with a slightly trembling hand, Hermione lifted her arm and curved her fingers around Malfoy's. She slammed back against the door in alarm when he let out a loud rumbling sound of pleasure.

Dear Merlin- he sounded as if he'd just…

Hermione quickly shook her head to get rid of that line of thought. Her arm jerked slightly as Malfoy tightened his hold on her fingers and he raised the digits to slide across his cheek. Hermione followed the movement with wide eyes, the only sound in the room coming from her shallow pants of air and Malfoy's purrs of contentment.

The half human half Veela had his eyes closed and his face was clear of any lines of tension as he touched her skin and ran it reverently over his face. _Merlin- how could her touch make him feel so at ease? _

Hermione was certain a full few minutes passed by as he continued with his stroking. And then he moved her fingers to run over his lips. At the contact, Hermione jerked her hand out of his hold. Malfoy's eyes snapped out and Hermione looked straight into their inky depths.

"More." He ordered.

Hermione gritted her teeth. She saw he was back at demanding again. That lasted long.

"I think that's enough." She whispered in a hoarse voice. Merlin, she needed some water.

Malfoy cocked his head to the side and looked at her in confusion. "Veela wants more. He was deprived of Mate's touch for ten years."

Hermione felt a rush of sympathy for what he must have endured. "I'm sorry…for what you must have gone through…I can't even imagine."

"They tried to force Veela to mate with another. They grew angry when I refused…and punished us. They did not understand that the female Veela was not Veela's Mate."

Hermione slumped against the door as the full horror inundated her. "What?" she whispered.

_Dear Merlin…_

"Finding his Mate…Touching her…Holding her in his arms…These thoughts kept Veela sane."

He reached out his hand and went to touch Hermione's again. She found herself letting him lift her palm back up to his face so he could nuzzle into it.

Dear Merlin…None of the newspapers had mentioned that the labs had been trying to force the Tenebris to have sex. Did they even know? _Did anyone?_

"H-Have you told anyone…about what they tried to make you do? The Auror's…"

The hold on her wrist tightened as Malfoy responded to her question. "No. I will not trust those humans. They did this to Veela…to all of us."

Hermione wiggled her fingers, indicating for him to let go. He did so reluctantly but instead of moving her hand like he'd expected, she trailed her fingers over his brow. "Not every human is like the rogue scientists that took you from Azkaban and did this to you. There are good humans out there…who are trying to help you. Kingsley…Healer Johnson…"

"My Mate?"

Hermione breathed in before she slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm trying to help you. The Auror's need to know what happened to you all…_everything_ that happened to you. Only then will the punishment fit the crime."

"Veela will speak to the vampire and the werewolf. Only they will make the final decision as to how much we tell the humans."

Hermione breathed out. It wasn't quite what she wanted but at least it was something and so she nodded in agreement. "Okay." She said quietly.

Malfoy caught her hands in his and held her gaze as he slowly brought her fingers to his lips. And then he placed a light kiss on the tips of her fingers. Hermione tightened as warmth crackled through her.

Slowly, she retracted her hand. The lines were becoming blurred. And this time it had been her fault. She had to keep Malfoy at a distance. He didn't know what he was doing or even who she was to him. It wasn't fair on him.

"I should get to Work." She told him.

Malfoy nodded his head and he quickly walked over to the set of drawers and dressed in under five seconds. And then with a jerk of his head, he nodded for her to open the door.

"Um, you do realise that you can't stay with me when I'm working?" Hermione told him.

Malfoy cocked his head to the side.

She quickly explained. "You aren't a Healer. And I won't break patient/Healer confidentiality which will happen if you're standing right behind me when I'm working or reading patient notes."

Malfoy didn't look too impressed with the idea but eventually he nodded his head in agreement. "Very well. Veela will wait outside the doors where his Hermione works until she has completed her work."

Hermione let out a shocked laugh. "Veela, that will be hours. You can't stand there all day."

Malfoy gave her a heated look. "Veela has nothing else to do."

Hermione shook her head, knowing there would be nothing she could say which would change his mind. "Alright then…it's your time you'll be wasting."

And with that, they walked out of the bedroom and made the short journey to the make-shift Ward they had set up on the second floor of the Manor.

ooo

Hermione had been at work for five hours when the patients on the Ward began to rise. And she had been at work for five hours and forty three minutes when the Auror's bought in their latest rescue, a werewolf who looked to be a few years old than James, putting him in the late thirties or early forties. But asking his age was out of the question. Asking him any question was out of the question.

Hermione knew of only one word to describe the patient's current condition. Rabid.

She watched from the safety of the other side of the Ward as the Auror's and Healer Johnson and Padma tried to control the part werewolf. For their efforts they got threatening snarls and bared teeth. It took a whole fifteen minutes before the patient finally calmed down enough for Healer Johnson to explain the situation.

From the tone of his voice and what he was saying, Hermione could tell he had done this a number of times before.

Getting back to work, she quickly finished bandaging one the patient's wounds. "Hungry?" the patient asked her.

Hermione jerked. "Sorry?" she said.

"You sound hungry. I can hear your stomach grumbling."

Hermione blushed at the information. "As a matter of fact, yes I am hungry. I'll be heading off to lunch just after I've finished with you."

"Good. At least my ears will have a break from all that noise."

Hermione would have been embarrassed had the werewolf not spoken in such a teasing tone. _Who knew- a patient with a friendly sense of humour!_ Securing the bandage in place with a spell, Hermione said goodbye to her possible new friend before she walked over to the door.

Would Malfoy be standing outside like he had alluded to?

She pushed the door open and heard an angry voice coming from the end of the corridor. With a frown and seeing no Malfoy, she headed in the direction. As she neared, she was able to discern what was being said.

"_She's a human_. And you claim she's your Mate. Have you seen how small she is? You would break her the first moment you tried to mount her."

Hermione's eyebrows rose at the private words that were being spoken in such a disgusted tone. She made to turn the corner and when she did, both heads were already turned in her direction. Hermione looked between Malfoy and Felix, a previous werewolf patient, in silence.

"My Hermione." Malfoy greeted.

Hermione looked at him. "What's going on?" she asked him.

Malfoy looked at Felix in disgust and Hermione was surprised to see Felix looking at _her_ in disgust.

He spoke and directed his words to her. "Males enjoy mounting someone without fearing they are going to hurt or break them in two. She would barely be able to keep her arms locked in position as you took her from behind."

Hermione's cheeks burned red and she had no clue what to say at the accusations. From beside Felix, Malfoy growled in anger.

"Leave werewolf." He stated in a furious voice.

Felix sent her one last shake of his head before he skulked away. Hermione turned her head back to Malfoy. "What was all that about?" she asked him.

Malfoy stalked over to her. Hermione stiffened at the formidable presence he made as he stood over her. "Come." He stated before he walked off.

Surprised and more than a little curious, Hermione followed him. Instead of heading to the kitchens as she had expected, Malfoy seemed to lead her back to their bedroom. He held the door open for her and when she'd stepped into the room, he closed the door and locked it with a distinct click.

"Veela?" she asked.

Malfoy turned around and lightly gripped her hand as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He had a frown on his face and Hermione became worried when he refused to meet her gaze. Pulling on her arm gently, he walked Hermione forward until she was stood in front of him, between his parted thighs.

Hermione didn't know what to do or say. Her gut wasn't screaming for her to run and so she was partially certain she wasn't in any danger but something evidently wasn't right.

And then Malfoy met her gaze with a solemn one of his. "You are so small." He said, repeating Felix's words. "Veela knows the bonding scent will make it pleasurable for his Mate but Veela understands why my Hermione has been so hesitant about the bonding ceremony."

Hermione let out a burst of nervous laughter as she quickly backed away from Malfoy. "I was hesitant about the bonding ceremony because I don't want to bond with you…period."

"But Hermione is also scared of Veela."

Hermione sighed. "I'm only scared of you when you go all barbaric on me. Like you did at the hospital…and yesterday! In case you haven't noticed, you're a lot stronger than me, my wand is practically useless against you and you have _claws!_"

"Will it make my Hermione more comfortable if Veela cuts his claws?"

Hermione looked at Malfoy, stunned that he would make such an offer. If she were being truthful, she would be more comfortable knowing he didn't have such sharp talons at his disposal but it felt wrong asking him to do this when she had no plan to succumb and accept her status as his Mate.

"No… don't do that."

"…Veela is pleased. He can protect his Mate better when he has sharp claws."

Hermione bit her lip at his answer. Her stomach let out another embarrassing gurgle and Malfoy's head snapped up. He sent her a look that was part angry, part admonishing. "My Hermione is hungry."

Hermione tried to laugh it off. "Well, it is lunchtime."

Her bid to lighten the tension didn't work. Malfoy stood and took her wrist as he marched her out of the room. "Tomorrow, Veela's Hermione eats the morning meal with Veela."

Hermione sighed. _So much for not acting barbaric._

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for everyone who left such lovely reviews with their kind words! It meant everything to me! It turns out my relative had a minor heart attack but thank God he wasn't alone when it happened and he was driven straight to the hospital by his friend otherwise I'm sure it would have been a lot worse. He's still in hospital at the moment and we decided that only my aunt and uncle would fly out and see him, partially because of all the hassle it was to get emergency visa's. I know I'm going to be ranting but being told that you have to prove how you are related to the patient you are going to see, getting letters from the doctor's from the hospital he's in to prove your case and then being told the so called "emergency" visa's will take three days minimum to get ready is ridiculous. Anyway, rant over, all's well that end's well, I suppose. The main thing, is that he's well and talking. To thank you for your patience, I'll be giving out two sneak peaks. The first is below (don't scroll down if you don't want to read it) and if you want the second, as always, please tell me in your reviews. Thank you again for your kind words and your prayers. Until next time, Curiositykils. _

_o_

_o_

"What is my Mate doing?"

Hermione let out a small squeak in surprise as she straightened her back and whipped her head to the left. Malfoy's dark eyes were looking at her in a confused expression. Hermione dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands as she felt her flush strengthen. No doubt her cheeks represented tomatoes right now.

And before she could deny that she was doing anything non-professional, Malfoy's lips turned from a small frown to a satisfied smile.

_o_

_o_

_P.S. I just noticed that yesterday was a month since I started this story! Happy Monthiversary! (I am a dork, I know)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

The next morning Hermione woke up when her internal alarm began ringing. Quietly getting out of bed, she washed up quickly in the bathroom, changing into the clothes she had brought in with her before exiting. Surprisingly, Malfoy didn't wake like he had done the day before.

Creeping over to him and getting as close as she dared, she looked over his face with a clinical eye. He looked paler than usual, which was saying something, and Hermione frowned at the fact. Maybe they should run some more checks on him today. With the new patient taking up most of the medical staff's attention yesterday, they hadn't been able to spare any attention on Malfoy to see what was going on with his memory.

He was lying so still it was eerie. Hermione leaned closer and watched closely to see if his chest was moving. Her eyes unconsciously flicked further downwards than she should have been looking and she flushed at what she saw. His shirt had risen up his stomach, leaving ropes of sinewy muscles bare and free for her to look at. She quickly looked back at his chest and admonished herself.

"What is my Mate doing?"

Hermione let out a small squeak in surprise as she quickly straightened back upright and whipped her head to the left. Malfoy's dark eyes were open and looking at her in a confused expression. She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands as she felt her flush strengthen. No doubt her cheeks represented tomatoes right now.

And before she could deny that she was doing anything non-professional, Malfoy's lips turned from a small frown to a satisfied smile.

Hermione cleared her throat importantly as she flicked her eyes away from him. "You didn't wake up when I came out of the bathroom. And you look pale. I was just checking to see if you were still breathing." She said before she quickly walked over to make her bed.

Malfoy sat up and swung his legs to the floor. Hermione felt his stare on her even as she ignored him by busying herself unnecessarily with the duvet.

"Veela's Hermione was looking very closely to only check to see if Veela was still breathing." Malfoy said as he enunciated the word closely.

Hermione glanced at him before quickly brushing her hand over her clothes. "Your chest wasn't moving. I was just making sure." She repeated, sticking to her story.

Malfoy grinned at her words and Hermione's breath caught in her chest. It was the first time she had seen such open joy on his face…and not just after he'd been turned into a Veela. She made an involuntary mental image of the moment and merely stared until he'd finished teasing her. Not knowing what to do, Hermione looked at her watch pointedly.

"I have twenty minutes until I need to get to the Ward." She told him.

He stood from his bed and made his way to the bathroom. "Hermione will wait for Veela."

Hermione jerked at the order. "Really Malfoy, there's no need for you to stand outside the doors of the Ward all day. You have to have better things to do."

"There is nothing better than Veela protecting his Mate. You will wait for me." He said before walking into the bathroom.

Hermione watched him take off the T-shirt he'd slept in and then quickly let out another squeak as he pulled down one corner of his shorts in order to tug them off. She quickly looked away and walked over to the other side of the bed which wasn't in direct sight of the bathroom, or more importantly, any of its naked occupants.

She heard the shower start and sat down on the bed in order to study the wallpaper. _Anything_ that would get her mind off how unselfconscious Malfoy was.

She didn't have to study the wallpaper for long. Four minutes and three seconds later (Hermione had been studiously counting), she heard Malfoy pull back the shower curtain and walk back into the bedroom. Thinking that he would have changed in the bathroom, she turned to face him. Her mouth gaped open as he calmly strolled over to the set of drawers in the middle of the room with nothing but a teensy weensy _hand_ towel wrapped low around his hips.

With one hand holding the towel in place, _thankfully_, Malfoy turned his back on her as he opened the drawer and rummaged through it. Hermione's gaping mouth fell further as she realised that the towel was being held in one hand because it was too small to completely wrap around his body.

_Dear Merlin! _

Malfoy let go of the towel completely, evidently needing two hands to pull on his fresh shirt and Hermione jerked her eyes closed and immediately tilted her head to the floor. When she heard him chuckle, presumably at her, she cracked open her left eye and peeked over at him. He was staring at her with his arms crossed against his chest. Mercifully, his lower half was clothed too.

Hermione stood from the bed and walked over to the door. Before she could open it, she felt Malfoy's heat against her back as his arm reached out to catch her wrist. She looked at him from over her shoulder and tried to not shiver as he stroked the pulse thumping under his thumb.

"Veela is pleased his Mate was worried about him. And that she cares from him."

Hermione didn't know how to respond to his soft words and so she pulled on her Healer persona. "I'm still worried. You're still looking pale and now that the curtains are open, I can see the darkness under your eyes. I'll check with Healer Johnson but I think you should come into the Ward this afternoon so we can run some tests."

Malfoy took a step back from her although he didn't let go of her wrist. She noticed that he had stopped his tender stroking though. "My Hermione is worried that Veela is not well enough to protect her? She thinks Veela is _weak_." he rumbled in anger.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I already told you. I don't need you protecting me. And I'm worried about your health for you…not for me."

There was silence for a few moments and Hermione wasn't sure if Malfoy had accepted her answer or not as she watched him study her face with narrowed eyes. After a while, he merely reached behind her and opened the door.

Hermione exhaled out the breath she had been holding in her chest. Side by side, the two of them walked down the flight of stairs to the second floor. She couldn't hide her shock as instead of letting her veer off into the corridor, Malfoy tugged her to his side and led her down the next flight of stairs.

Apparently he hadn't been kidding the day before when he'd told her that this morning she would eat breakfast with him.

ooo

After managing to choke down a muffin with a gallon of tea, all under the watchful eye of Malfoy, and feeling the two substances settle uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach, Hermione hauled herself up to the Ward.

She was walking in a determined pace, not wanting to waste a second before she or Healer Johnson could run those tests on Malfoy.

Ten minutes ago, when she had pointed out that Malfoy wasn't eating anything, she had received a dismissive shrug along with the words that he would eat later. To Hermione's discerning eye, it was perfectly clear that Malfoy wasn't eating because he wasn't feeling well.

The kitchen of the Manor was located in its usual place at the bottom of the house towards the back of the estate and since it was so early in the morning, there had been a large fire lighting up the room. Malfoy had looked downright peaky in the firelight and the ball of worry in her stomach was growing.

Dutifully, Malfoy followed her into the Ward. All the patients were still asleep and it was eerily quiet. Even the new patient that had been brought in yesterday was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Hermione glanced over them before spotting Healer Bentley sitting at the Nurse's Station, his nose hidden in the pages that he was scribbling in.

"Healer Bentley." Hermione called out in greeting. Whilst she would have preferred to discuss Malfoy's health with Healer Johnson since she had become used to working with him, Hermione couldn't spot him anywhere in the vicinity and Healer Bentley's reputation was equally as well known.

The other Healer looked up at her greeting and smiled before turning to look at Malfoy who was hovering behind her shoulder. His smile widened, "Ah Mr Malfoy. It's nice to see you up and walking. You look much better than the last time I saw you."

Malfoy didn't make any effort to respond and Hermione quickly moved to fill the silence before Healer Bentley realised the extent of Malfoy's rudeness.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Mr Malfoy's health. He's woken up looking a little peaky this morning. I was hoping you would have some time to run some routine tests on him."

Healer Bentley nodded as he looked over Malfoy's face with a critical eye.

"No." Malfoy stated.

Hermione turned to him with a frown. "What?"

Malfoy looked down at her. "You or the other Healer. No-one else."

Hermione swallowed and she looked nervously at Healer Bentley. "Malfoy, you can trust Healer Bentley. He's just a good a Healer as Healer Johnson."

Healer Bentley piped in, looking highly affronted of Malfoy's opinion of his abilities. "I assure you Mr Malfoy; I have more than enough skill to run a few simple tests. And I'm afraid Healer Johnson does not have a shift today. I'll be the Healer in charge of the Ward. I assure you, you are in safe hands."

Malfoy dismissed him with a bland look. "Then my Hermione will do the tests. Although Veela already knows what is wrong but Mate will not like it."

"With everything that's going on between us, I don't think it right if I'm your Healer anymore." Hermione told him. "And what do you mean you already know what is wrong?"

Malfoy said nothing but pointedly looked at Healer Bentley. The other Healer jerked back before clearing his throat importantly and picking up the patient notes he had been writing in.

"If you'll excuse me, I have patients to see." He said before walking off, completely ignoring Hermione's apologetic smile.

After watching him walk a safe distance away from them, Hermione grabbed hold of Malfoy's robes and pulled him into the furthest corner of the room. "What was that?" she asked him angrily. "Why were you so rude to him? I have to work with him! You could have been polite at least."

Malfoy studied her face, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Veela is…displeased that he has made his Hermione unhappy."

Hermione crossed her hands in front of her chest. "Was that supposed to be an _apology?_" she asked in a hushed screech.

Malfoy simply shrugged and her anger only burned that much brighter.

"Merlin- it's like you've forgotten all your manners!"

Malfoy gave her a heated look. "Veela has not had much use for manners in the last ten years."

Hermione admonished herself before quickly swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. "I'm sorry," she choked out before continuing, "I shouldn't have said that. But it still doesn't excuse your behaviour. You aren't living in the lab anymore. You're going to have to change some of your…rougher habits…if you want to live in the Wizarding World. And what's wrong with Healer Bentley?"

"Veela only trusts you and the other Healer."

Hermione sighed. "I told you that everyone here wants to help you. No one is going to harm you."

"Trust must be earned. _He_ has not earned it." He said, jerking his head to where Healer Bentley had retreated.

"But Healer Johnson has?" she questioned.

"He tried to protect Veela's Hermione when she was attacked. Veela heard the Auror's talking. Veela is in his debt."

_Oh. _

"Well…I'm sure that the rest of the medical staff will earn your trust if you let them. Padma tried to protect me from James the first time he attacked me."

Malfoy looked contemplative. "The witch belonging to the vampire and werewolf?"

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean the witch _belonging _to the vampire _and_ the werewolf?"

Annoyingly, Malfoy merely shrugged, offering no more information on the subject. Hermione wanted to know more but she shook her head to clear it. She had more pressing thoughts to deal with for now.

"You said you know what's wrong with you. What is it?"

"Veela is weakening."

Hermione frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because he has not taken his Mate's vein."

Hermione immediately jerked back. Her mind went back to what Fleur had said about Veela's needing their Mate's blood as a source of sustenance. But she had thought that that would have only come into play after their bonding ceremony. And more importantly, she had hoped that it would be one of the few differences between female and male Veela.

She shifted uneasily as she put her thoughts to Malfoy who looked at her through unblinking eyes.

"The bonding ceremony is the first time there is an exchange of blood-"

_"- Exchange of blood?_" she interrupted. "I thought that Fleur said it's only the Veela that bites when he…you know!" she finished in a splutter.

She didn't appreciate the small amused smile that appeared on Malfoy's face at her ineloquent words.

"The bonding ceremony involves a small exchange of blood on the Mate's part. It is extremely pleasurable for the Veela. Veela is hoping that his Hermione finds it just as pleasurable and will take Veela's vein more than once."

Hermione recoiled at the thought. Drinking his blood? The only word Hermione could find herself thinking repeatedly was ewwwww.

The fact that Malfoy had already made the assumption that the bonding ceremony was going to be taking place was bad enough. But the presumption that they would repeatedly have sex… _not if she had anything to do with it! _

Forcibly swallowing the lump that was stuck in her throat, Hermione looked at Malfoy determinedly. "What were you saying?" she said through gritted teeth, mentally warning him to tread lightly.

"The bonding ceremony is usually the first time there is an exchange of blood between Veela and his Mate. Therefore it is from then that Veela must take his Mate's vein for sustenance."

"But we haven't had a bonding ceremony yet!" she pointed out.

Malfoy growled as if displeased at the idea and she ignored him. "No, but Mate willingly bit Veela and took in his blood's essence."

Hermione drew back, this time not being able to contain the loudness of her voice. "I haven't _bitten_ you!" she denied strongly.

Malfoy smiled as he remembered the memory. "My Hermione bit my hand." He said as he lifted his palm and proudly showed her the area as if he was showing off a war wound. Not that there was a scar or any sort of mark marring his skin.

"When?" she demanded.

"Two days before. Before we went to visit the female Veela."

And then Hermione slumped as she remembered sucking in Malfoy's skin in order to bite him when he had been covering her mouth, having pinned her to the bed. "But I didn't take in any of your blood!" she pointed out desperately.

"My Mate may not have taken in enough to fully taste Veela's essence but she would have had traces on her teeth from where she bit Veela."

Hermione remembered being confused at Malfoy's aroused sounding growl when she'd bitten him and now she knew the truth. He _had_ been aroused!

_Dear Merlin. What had she done?_

Hermione knew that Malfoy was free from any diseases but her full stomach still felt queasy at knowing she had inadvertently swallowed some of his blood…or his essence…or whatever Malfoy wanted to call it.

"What does this mean?" she asked him. "And how do you know all of this. Did the rogue scientists tell you about Veela's?"

A disgusted look fell across Malfoy's face. "Those humans told Veela nothing. He simply knows these things."

Hermione shook her head. "Okay, so what do we do? How ill do you feel right now? Can you take anything else to replace my blood?" she asked.

"Veela is feeling fine. And no…in time, only Hermione's blood will be enough to sustain Veela."

_Stubborn males. It didn't matter what species they were!_

"I can't help you unless you tell me the truth about how you're feeling. Now I'm going to ask again, how ill are you feeling?"

Malfoy gave her an annoyed look to which she responded to by silently raising her eyebrows impatiently.

Finally, he replied. "Veela feels less physically well than usual." He said grudgingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and translated, "So you're feeling weaker than normal?"

"Less physically well." Malfoy repeated sternly.

Hermione sighed out loudly. "Fine. _Less physically well._ What else? Do you feel dizzy?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Anything else?"

Malfoy shook his head and Hermione watched him, unsure if she should trust him or not. Eventually she realised she might not have a choice. But she wanted to avoid collecting her blood in a vial so Malfoy could drink it for as long as possible.

"How long can you manage without my blood?"

"Veela will steadily grow more ill as time passes."

_Well wasn't that was a perfectly vague answer. _

"Okay…so we have some time, albeit a little, to come up with another solution."

"There is no other solution. Veela's hunger will only be sated by Hermione's essence."

"Well I'm going to keep my essence to myself for a little longer. A few more hours at least. I need to do some research. Perhaps it would be best if you lay down on the bed and try to get some more sleep."

"Mate is very stubborn. But she will have to give in eventually. There is no other solution."

"How do you know that? There might not be a solution because no one's looked for one yet!"

Malfoy shook his head but did as she suggested and walked over to the nearest bed. He stretched out onto it but kept his gaze fixed firmly on her. Hermione walked over to the Nurse's Station and sat down, pulling out Malfoy's notes from the pile in the corner.

She had already memorised most of the information in the folder but she had to start somewhere.

ooo

An hour later, and she had come up with zilch. She had asked permission to send a Floo call to Fleur and after being granted it, she had been glad when the witch had heeded her request and sent through her collection of books on Veela's along with her Grand-maman's precious journals.

Unfortunately, the books were elusive to say the least and the journals were filled with pages of a young girl growing up into a young woman and finding her love. From what Hermione had skimmed through, the word Veela had only been written a handful times with the witch merely making vague mentions of how "The Veela loves him too" and that "The Veela is pleased to have found her Mate."

Closing the journals tiredly, Hermione glanced over to Malfoy. She wished Healer Johnson were here. The old Healer was a comforting presence even though he might not have any actual answers. Unfortunately, the man was at a conference which wasn't due to finish until later in the afternoon. Standing, Hermione walked over to Malfoy, who watched her as she neared him.

"You still haven't eaten anything." She pointed out as she gestured to the tray on the table next to him.

"Veela is not hungry for food."

_Right…he was hungry for her. _

"Maybe if you tried eating something? You aren't fully Veela. Maybe your human half can stave off this starvation for longer than a full Veela could."

"Healer Granger?"

Hermione turned as her name was called out. "Yes?" she said to Heather, the only other Nurse on the Ward apart from Padma.

"We just received an Owl from the Auror's. Healer Johnson said he heard about the problem with Mr Malfoy and that he would try to leave the conference. He's trying to get permission from the Auror's to change his apparation time to one that leaves in a few minutes."

Hermione smiled at the information. She felt comforted at knowing Healer Johnson was coming back early. At least he would be some help. Since their earlier mini confrontation, Healer Bentley seemed to have assigned Malfoy's care to Hermione and stayed well away, being too busy to even come back to the Nurse's Station which was a pretty good feat considering the patients were still asleep.

Thanking Heather, Hermione turned back to Malfoy only to see that he had shifted his head so it was indecently nudging at her waist under her Healer robes. She jumped back in surprise and Malfoy's arm whipped out to encircle her waist so he could anchor her to the bed.

Hermione pushed at his shoulders nervously. "Veela…what are you doing?"

She heard Malfoy take in a deep sniff and watched his body shudder. "Veela feels better…He can smell his Mate's essence through her skin."

Hermione slumped in his hold as she looked down at the back of his bent blond head. "You can _smell _my blood… through my skin?"

"Hmmm." Malfoy replied as he took in another deep sniff.

"It's helping?" she asked incredulously.

Malfoy nodded and Hermione jumped slightly as she felt his nose burrow under the jumper she was wearing and brush against the skin of her waist.

"Malfoy!" she said nervously, flicking her gaze around the Ward to make sure no-one had spotted them yet. Thankfully, Heather seemed busy checking over their latest werewolf patient, carrying out the routine tests whilst he was still asleep and Healer Bentley was at the furthest end of the room, reading through a patient's notes.

Hermione felt Malfoy's nose brush her once again before, _dear Merlin was that a lick!_ She instantly pushed away from him and Malfoy looked up, his glazed eyes showing confusion. But it wasn't his eyes that held her gaze. No, that would be the lethally extended incisor's that were jutting out from under his top lip.

Gulping, she looked back up into Malfoy's eyes. "Veela…"

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you so so so so so much to everyone who's reading the story and taking the time to review. I love hearing from you! As always, there's another sneak peak up for grabs...let's just say that Hermione and our favourite Veela get very close in the next chapter! Please remember to log in and review for the sneak peak- there was still one reviewer who forgot to do so when reviewing the last chapter and you make me feel guilty saying all these wonderful things and then requesting a snippet which I can't send to you! I hope everyone in England enjoyed the snow that fell today- I most certainly did! Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Malfoy frowned as he looked up at her and Hermione could only watch numbly as an internal war raged fiercely behind his eyes.

"Veela…" she said again, trying to pull him back from the brink of whatever edge he was on that would undoubtedly end with her blood flowing freely in his mouth.

Malfoy didn't react to her words. At all.

Hermione's heart began pumping faster with adrenaline and she watched Malfoy's pupils dilate further. Okay, Plan B. _It was most definitely time for Plan B. _

"Malfoy…If you let me go, I can take some of my blood and put it in a vial for you…would you like that?" she coaxed as she tried to dislodge herself from his hold around her waist. "But you need to let me go so I can get the vial and get Heather to collect some of my blood. Just let me go…"

His hold only tightened and she squeaked at the sudden increase in pressure against her stomach. Her hand shifted until it was free to dip into her pocket and she closed her hand around her wand. But a voice in her head piped up and stopped her from using it. For a few short moments, Hermione battled against the voice before she eventually gave in.

Instead of twisting her arm around so she could hex him, she tried compromising with Malfoy once again. "…Veela. You need to let me go. If you want my blood, you need to let me go to Heather."

Malfoy looked at her and when he spoke, it was in the voice she had only heard once before…that morning when he had woken up in Ward 17 after she'd stupefied him for the first time.

"My Mate is refusing Veela even this!" he bellowed.

Hermione recoiled instinctively and she saw Heather and Healer Bentley immediately look towards her…along with a few of the once sleeping patients who had woken up at Malfoy's loud roar.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she quickly turned back to face him. "I'm not denying you. I'm offering you my blood! But you have- to- let- me- go." She said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

"Call the Auror's!" she heard Healer Bentley order Heather.

Hermione watched the witch step towards the doors and she immediately called out. "No! Everything is fine. You don't need to call them."

Heather paused, her head looking between Healer Bentley and Hermione, a conflicted look appearing on her face as to what she should do.

Hermione quickly turned back to Malfoy. "_Veela_…you have to let me go before they call the Auror's. Let me go and I'll give you a vial of my blood…I'll give you however many vials you need until you feel better! But you have to let me go."

Malfoy continued to stare at her before he spoke, his words forming easily around his deathly teeth. "The essence must be fresh…straight from the vein."

Hermione gulped. _Of course it did._ _Because when had anything between her and Malfoy been simple!_

A loud creak diverted her attention and Hermione turned to the doors of the ward as they were pulled open. She watched in relief as Healer Johnson walked in and immediately jerk to a stop as he took in the situation.

And then as he walked into the Ward further, he was followed by three Auror's who rapidly whipped out their wands and pointed them at her and Malfoy.

_Oh dear…_

"Healer Granger? What is going on here?" Healer Johnson questioned as he slowly walked up to her.

Hermione had no clue how to respond to his simple question. Instead, she chose to look down at Malfoy who was watching the Auror's like an animal about to attack. She quickly lifted her hand to his cheek. Forcefully, she turned Malfoy's head away from the Auror's until he had no choice but to look at her.

"Veela…You have to calm down."

He growled at her words, his eyes looking deep into hers. "Veela only wants to smell…he will not hurt his Mate." He told her.

Hermione rushed to reassure him. "I know you won't hurt me. But you need to let me go for a moment so I can talk to the Auror's and Healer Johnson. He might have an idea on how to get you to feel better."

Another loud roar left Malfoy's throat. "Veela already knows what will make him better!"

Hermione jumped. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Auror's step forward and she quickly turned to them.

"No…please. Stop- he won't hurt me!"

"Right now, Healer Granger, you aren't the only one he's a threat too." One of the Auror's replied.

Hermione swallowed and turned back to Malfoy. He was once again nuzzling her stomach and she had never been so glad that his body was so massive, thus hiding most of what he was doing from view, especially since he had taken to actually _shoving_ her jumper up her stomach so he had unrestricted access to her skin. She shivered as he resumed his sniffing and occasional licking, her heart skipping a beat every time she caught sight of one of his pearly white death inducer's next to her skin.

"Veela." She whispered. "You have to stop. The _Auror's!_-"

She let out a squeak and trailed off her sentence when Malfoy's tongue turned bolder and encircled her belly button before playfully dipping inside.

_Dear Merlin- Malfoy was licking her belly button in public…when they had a rapt audience! _

"Healer Granger? Are you okay?" she heard Healer Johnson ask her.

Hermione tried to speak but her throat refused to co-operate. And so she took to nodding her head like a crazy woman, all the while strongly digging her fingers into Malfoy's shoulders, in a bid to get him away from her.

"Malfoy- you have to stop before the Auror's take you back to Azkaban."

That got his attention. Malfoy whipped his head back and Hermione took the moment to shove her jumper back down, ignoring the way the wool tickled her now sensitized skin.

"No-one will take Veela away from his Hermione." He said as he jumped out of the bed.

Hermione immediately held out her hands to steady him but the precautionary action was not needed. Pumped with adrenaline, Malfoy's body thrummed with energy as he turned his icy gaze to the Auror's and their outstretched wands.

"Do not attack." She heard Healer Johnson speak.

Hermione stepped to the side so she could see the Healer from behind Malfoy's back and she was surprised to see the wizard had spoken to the Auror's and not Malfoy.

"That isn't your call Healer." One of the Auror's replied.

"Our priority is the safety of everyone in the Manor. If he erupts again like he did last time, then we have no choice but to protect the other residents over him." Another Auror added.

Hermione had been partly kidding when she had mentioned the Auror's taking Malfoy back to Azkaban, he was ill for Merlin's sake, only it seemed the Auror's didn't share the same sense of humour as her.

She quickly ran to stand in front of him and jerked in surprise as Malfoy's black wings erupted out of his back and curled around her, covering her from head to toe. She was dragged into his body, her chest banging into his but Malfoy didn't spare her a second glance.

_Dear Merlin, he was protecting her. _

Hermione reached up, fisted her hands in his T-shirt and pulled tightly until he glanced down at her with a frown.

Once she had his full attention, she spoke. "Stop." She told him sternly. "You told me that you trusted me so trust me now. You have to stop. I can't help you if they take you back to Azkaban."

Malfoy panted but slowly, she felt his anger drain out of his body. Lifting her off her feet, he ducked his head and planted his face in her throat. After a few moments, she felt the warmth of his wings fall from around her. Her fingers reached around to Malfoy's back and she felt the tips of her fingers trail along the soft feathers as they retreated back under his skin.

"There, you see. Everything is under control, gentleman. Now if I can ask you to leave my Ward."

With her back to the rest of the room, Hermione couldn't see how the Auror's had taken Healer Johnson's not so subtle command but after a short while, she heard withdrawing footsteps before the heavy thud of the Ward's doors closing.

Gently, Malfoy dropped her back down until she was standing on her own two feet again and Hermione sighed in relief. Numbly, she realised she was still clutching her wand in her left hand but had completely forgotten about using it. Before Malfoy could see it, she quickly shoved it back into her pocket.

She heard steps near them slowly and craned her head around as much as she could. Healer Johnson was studying her and Malfoy with a furrowed brow and Hermione blushed, imaging the picture the two of them must be making. Clearing her throat, she slowly took a step back and away from Malfoy.

"Thank you for coming back early from your conference." She said to Healer Johnson.

The older wizard nodded his head. "What is the problem?" he asked her.

Hermione sighed, not relishing the thought of explaining everything to the other Healer. "It's a long story." She said, knowing that it would take time to explain everything Malfoy had told her and to answer Healer Johnson's questions.

"Very well. Let us get Mr Malfoy settled and then we can talk."

Hermione nodded and she pointed back to the bed. Malfoy looked from her to the cot before following her silent order and moving to sit back on it. Hermione studied his face as he fell heavily on the thin mattress. Merlin- he really didn't look well. The paleness of his skin only contrasted that much more against the darkness beginning to appear under his eyes.

"I'll just be right over there." She told Malfoy as she pointed to the Nurse's Station.

Malfoy didn't look pleased but he nodded his head. She was made to walk away but was caught before she could do so. She watched in silence as Malfoy lifted her wrist to his nose, closed his eyes and took in one long, deep breath before gently dropping her hand back down to rest against her thigh.

Swallowing tightly, Hermione quickly moved away from him.

Healer Johnson had already taken a seat when Hermione approached him and thankfully, he listened without interruption as she caught him up on what had gone on that morning. The few questions he did have were the same as she herself had had earlier on and she answered him with what Malfoy had told her.

When she had finished, Healer Johnson leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully with the end of his quill. "And you have managed to find nothing in the means of a treatment?"

Hermione shook her head. "There's nothing in any of the books or Fleur's grandmother's journals. I didn't even think that smelling my blood through my skin would help alleviate the symptoms until Mr Malfoy began…sniffing my skin."

"This could be the answer you've been looking for. At least until we can see what else we can unearth."

"I'm not sure how much it will help. Mr Malfoy said that my blood is the only thing that will sate his hunger and he was incredibly vague when I asked him how much time we have before he falls really ill."

"We will have to test out the theory, if you agree of course."

Hermione sighed as her gaze flickered back to Malfoy. He was sitting upright against the headboard but just as before, his eyes never looked away from hers and she was aware he could hear every word her and Healer Johnson were exchanging.

Hermione looked away from him. "No, I don't have a problem with it." She said, knowing that Malfoy sniffing her skin was at least better than him drinking through it. "But I don't think the Hospital Ward would be the best place for us to do this. I'd prefer it if we could go back to our room."

Healer Johnson nodded. "Yes of course…the Ward's beds won't be the most comfortable."

Hermione scoffed mentally. She didn't think she would be comfortable sharing _any_ bed with Malfoy. She shook the thought out of her head and forced herself to listen to what Healer Johnson was saying.

"- visit Mrs Weasley and see if she has any ideas that may help us. I will check on you when I get back and make sure your meals are delivered to your room."

"Malfoy will only trust you and possibly Padma." She reminded him.

Healer Johnson nodded. "Padma has a day off today but I believe she won't have a problem swapping her annual leave for another day."

Hermione nodded. "Okay." She said as she stood.

Healer Johnson also stood. "If you and Mr Malfoy can manage to return to your room yourselves, I must see if I can organise a replacement for your shift. I will see you in a few hours."

Hermione nodded before walking back to Malfoy. He was already standing beside the bed, waiting for her so they could leave. Hermione gave him a small smile as she felt a small ball of panic settle in her stomach.

As they began walking to the exit, Malfoy's hand settled on the small of her stomach and Hermione felt the ball grow in size. The stares they received as they walked through the Ward to reach the doors certainly didn't help either.

ooo

"So…how do you want to do this?" Hermione asked as Malfoy turned to her after closing the door to their room.

"Remove your clothes." He stated in a staid voice.

Hermione couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped her throat before it trailed off. _Merlin- he was being serious! _She quickly cleared her throat. "I'm not going to get naked!" she told him in a no-nonsense tone.

"Hermione's clothes are only getting in Veela's way."

"Exactly." Hermione pointed out. She needed some sort of barrier between them, especially since she had a feeling of dread that Malfoy would have no problem shedding his clothes.

"Remove your clothes." He repeated as he took a step in her direction as if to help her.

Hermione quickly stepped back and outstretched her arms to ward him off. "Listen Veela, I've agreed to do this to help you but if you think I'm going to get naked whilst doing it, then you're very much mistaken!"

Malfoy's jaw clenched but Hermione refused to give in. "I can change out of the jeans and the jumper into something that will leave more skin bared." She told him.

He nodded grudgingly at the compromise and Hermione quickly rushed to the drawers holding her clothes. Removing a thin tank top and a pair of shorts, she darted into the bathroom. It only took her a few moments to change into the new clothes but it took a little longer than that to calm her rapidly beating heart.

_Dear Merlin she couldn't believe she was about to do this…_

Taking in a deep breath and running her hand through her hair one last time, she opened the door. Her gaze fell on Malfoy. His chest was bare and she sincerely hoped that he was wearing some sort of clothing under the duvet that was currently covering his lower half. He growled appreciatively when he saw her and Hermione stiffened uncomfortably. She walked woodenly over to her side of the bed before hesitating, not knowing what to do.

Should she sit? Should she lay down? Should she get a book or something to read?

"Come." Malfoy said, his arm held out for her to take.

Hermione glanced at him. "Maybe we should do this on top of the covers?" she suggested.

In one fluid movement, Malfoy had himself extracted out from under the heavy material and Hermione was glad to see that he was wearing something to cover himself…although boxer shorts weren't exactly what she would have picked out.

"Whatever will make his Hermione more comfortable."

Hermione sighed before she climbed on the bed and shifted until she had adopted Malfoy's half reclining position. She froze as he neared her before his arm curled around her waist.

He took in a long inhale before he spoke. "Hermione is not relaxed." He pointed out.

_No kidding…_

She forced herself to relax her tense muscles, still feeling strange when Malfoy's nose touched the curve of her shoulder and she heard him take in a deep breath.

Dear Merlin- what if she smelt bad? She had taken a shower that morning but she had just spent over an hour panicking and sweating as she'd tried to find an answer to this latest disturbing problem.

"Maybe I should take a shower." She said as she made to sit back up fully.

Malfoy's arms clamped around her and pulled her until her body was tucked into his. "No…Veela likes the way his Hermione smells. Soap will only hide the scent of her essence." he rumbled against her throat, so powerfully that Hermione felt her entire body vibrate, "Honey and spice."

Hermione laughed nervously. "That's the smell of my soap and shampoo." She told him, feeling slightly dejected that he hadn't been able to tell the difference. She quickly pushed away those silly feelings.

Malfoy lifted his head and looked into her eyes. "No. His Hermione's soap and shampoo smell of chemicals. My Mate's essence smells of pure honey and fresh cinnamon."

Hermione didn't know how to react. "How do you know that I smell like honey and cinnamon?" she asked, knowing he wouldn't have likely smelt those aroma's in the underground lab he'd been held in for ten years.

"Veela knows." He stated in a final tone, cutting the conversation off.

Hermione breathed out tightly as she shifted into a more comfortable position. They both lay in silence for the next few minutes before Hermione broke it. "Have you spoken to Zabini about what happened to you in the laboratory?" she murmured quietly.

Malfoy's body stiffened for a short moment before it relaxed again. "I will." He said.

Hermione hesitated before running her free hand down his back comfortingly. He shuddered at her touch and pressed against her more tightly.

"Tell me…about what happened to you."

"Veela remembers little. The humans drugged him with a potion…they made the days blurry." He went silent for a while but Hermione didn't push him. Eventually, he began again. "Veela remembers the pain…and their anger… There was a black haired man- he would come to see Veela. He was scared of Veela and when Veela bared his teeth he would leave…quickly."

"Do you know who he was? Did they ever say his name?"

Malfoy shook his head as he shifted her body so he could lay his forehead on her chest. This time, it took Hermione an even longer time to relax. As long as Malfoy didn't use his nose to…prod…anything that she didn't want prodding, everything would be fine. Or so she told herself.

"He was a Muggle."

Hermione bent her chin to look down on him but all she could see was his blonde hair. "How do you know that?"

"He didn't hex Veela when he bared his teeth at him. His eyes would turn nervous when the other humans pulled out their wands."

She shouldn't have been surprised at finding out there was a Muggle involved. After all, DNA splicing was predominantly a Muggle science which meant someone must have taught the Wizarding Healers and scientists the art of combining genes.

"How many others were in the lab with you?"

"Two. One was the female Veela they tried to get Veela to Mate. Another was like Veela. But something happened to him. One night he began screaming. The Healer's drugged Veela. When he woke up- his friend was gone."

Hermione breathed out. "I'm sorry." She told him as her mind buzzed at the new information. Did that mean that there was another Male Veela out there somewhere….or had he passed away? Or been put down? She wouldn't put anything past these animals.

She asked the thought that had been niggling away at her. "The female Veela that had been with you- it was Rose wasn't it?"

Malfoy's arms were like tight bands around her. "My Hermione has no need to worry. Veela did not mate with the female Veela."

Hermione kept it to herself that she hadn't been worried about that thought. _Or had she been?_ That was the second thought she pushed away quickly.

"Do you remember them talking about anything? About their plans or why they did what they did?"

Malfoy shook his head and Hermione jumped as the action caused his nose to prod the very things she'd been trying to keep him away from. "_Veela!_" she said, hissing at the contact.

Malfoy ignored her hiss but he settled back down. "They only talked about Veela and the two others. About their health and what their abilities were."

_How did you survive?_

Hermione thought she'd said the words in her head but apparently she'd said them out loud as Malfoy replied.

"Veela thought of his Hermione. Veela did not know her name…or her face. But he knew what she would smell like to him…he knew how he would care for her…protect her…" Malfoy's fingers stroked her stomach through her top before he slipped his fingers underneath the thin material. The fingers moved to stroke the edge of her shorts and Hermione swallowed heavily. Malfoy continued, "Veela knew how he would touch her…taste her…_take her_."

His fingers slipped beneath the waistline and Hermione trembled. His addicting smell hit her nose and she inhaled it, not helping the soft moan that left her throat.

"Veela dreamt so many times of how he would take his Mate." He whispered against her skin.

His fingers slowly dipped lower, tracing the edge of her underwear and Hermione closed her eyes, not knowing if she wanted to shut him out or simply savour his touch.

"Will his Mate allow Veela to kiss her…to taste her lips? Veela will not lose control…he just wants one taste…"

Hermione was too busy drinking in his scent and feeling his warm hands on her skin to reply out loud.

"Will Veela's little Healer allow him to taste her this one time?"

_Healer…She was his Healer. She was his Healer! Dear Merlin what was she doing?!_

The word "No" was wrenched out of her throat and had the effect of dousing a hot burning fire with icy water. As she shook her head to clear it, she felt Malfoy's body tense from under her chin and she actually missed his touch as he slipped his fingers out from under her clothes.

She was still lightly panting when Malfoy lifted his head to look up at her. Hermione glanced over his face, the pained expression he wore and the tightness of his features before she felt guilt stir in her stomach.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I…this was my fault. I shouldn't have let this get so far."

She tried to put some distance between their bodies bit Malfoy's arms refused to budge an inch and she eventually gave up.

"Hermione is attracted to Veela. Do not lie…Veela can see it…and smell it."

Hermione blushed red. "Okay…yes I am…attracted to you-" _Dear Merlin she was going to get struck off the Healer's medical register!_ "-But that doesn't mean that I'm ready…that _I want_…to be your Mate."

"Is Hermione still frightened of the bonding ceremony? Of Veela taking her vein?"

_Yes! _

"No. That's not the reason." She lied.

"Because Veela has promised he will make it pleasurable for his Mate."

Her blush deepened. "I know…but this is moving too fast. We only properly met a few days ago! And you still haven't remembered anything about your life previous to all of this…"

Malfoy said nothing as he studied her intently.

"My Mate is worried about Veela not wanting her when he remembers?"

Hermione swallowed heavily. "That's part of it…" she admitted.

"It is not possible." Malfoy said as if the thought was utterly ridiculous.

Hermione sighed. "You can't know that."

"Veela knows."

Hermione merely sighed again.

When she didn't speak again, Malfoy lifted his head. "Veela will wait for his Mate to become…accustomed to being his."

Hermione's eyebrows nearly lifted off her face in surprise at his words. He was giving her a reprieve?!

"But only for a few days." He told her when he saw the pleased expression on her face. His next words came out in an order. "His Hermione will become accustomed _quickly_." He said before he lowered his head back down to her throat.

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Whatever action she carried out, it wouldn't change the end result.

At least she was getting a few days of peace and quiet.

Or so she had thought…

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who is reading the story and especially to those who are taking the time to review! It's great hearing what you think of the chapter or the fic so far! Unfortunately, my holiday is now over and from next week, it's back to the daily grind for little old me. This may or may not have an effect on the frequency of my updates but I thought I should warn you in advance! Fingers crossed I still manage to find the same amount of time for my writing! I haven't written very much of the next chapter but I think I can rustle up a sneak peak for those of you who want one! As always, thank you very much for reading and Until next time, Curiositykils._


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

After an hour of lying against Malfoy, Hermione's legs were itching for a stretch. Malfoy's head had slowly descended down to rest against her stomach where he was currently drawing idle circles on top of her tank top.

His actions had caused Hermione to squirm more than once as her ticklish skin cried out for her to swat his hand away but she had resisted. His lazy drawings, which for some reason Malfoy seemed fascinated by, were better than him simply laying his head on her belly and staring into her eyes. Why Hermione couldn't look away from his gaze when he had been doing that, she had no idea. But thankfully, his intense staring hadn't lasted very long before he'd begun tracing his invisible swirls.

Another pain went through her legs and she tried to shift them without disturbing him. Of course, she was unsuccessful. He lifted his head from her stomach and Hermione quickly took her moment of freedom to bend her legs. The stiff muscles ached at the movement and she groaned.

"Is my Hermione okay?"

Hermione nodded silently. Swinging her legs around until they landed on the floor, she pulled herself up onto her feet.

"Just give me a few minutes." She told Malfoy. "I need to stretch my legs."

Wriggling her toes until she regained feeling in them again, she then stretched and cracked her back satisfactorily.

With a brief smile at Malfoy, she excused herself to the bathroom. She needed to walk around a little but didn't want to have Malfoy watching her every movement like a stalking panther, waiting until she was back in his vicinity again so he could pounce.

She spent a few minutes more than necessary in the loo before she gathered herself and walked back into the bedroom. She eyed Malfoy's face critically.

"You look better…slightly anyway." She commented as she went to sit back down next to him.

Malfoy made a general agreeing rumble like sound. "Veela is feeling better. Hermione's essence is strong and her skin is very thin." He said as he reached over to trace a blue vein visible on her inner wrist.

Hermione quickly changed the subject. "I wonder how Healer Johnson is getting on. I hope Fleur knows something."

Malfoy didn't respond to her statement. His fingers merely clamped down on her wrist as he jerked her to him. The sudden movement caused her head to drop down onto his shoulder as she was plastered against him. Giving in more easily than she would have done previously, although she couldn't help but grit her teeth slightly at his manhandling, she shifted into a more comfortable position. She said nothing as Malfoy brought the fingers he had a hold of up to his face so he could run them over it.

They sat in silence for a long while and as Hermione relaxed once more, she felt her eyes begin to grow heavy.

"Veela's Hermione is tired. Veela will not mind if she sleeps." Malfoy told her.

Hermione shook her head, both in answer to his question and to clear her head. "I want to be awake when Healer Johnson comes back from Shell Cottage. I want to hear what he has to say."

"Veela will wake his Mate when the male returns."

Hermione shook her head again. "No, it's okay. I'll stay awake- it shouldn't be that much longer. He's been gone for a while."

"Very well… Veela will keep his Hermione awake."

Hermione laughed lightly. "You need to stop calling yourself Veela and talking in the third person. It's not normal."

For a while, Malfoy said nothing and Hermione thought that he wasn't going to respond. And then he spoke. "Veela is not normal."

Hermione smiled at his answer. She couldn't very well argue with that now could she? _But still…_

She tilted her head against Malfoy's shoulder and looked up to see him staring down at her. "I know you think that your name is Veela…but everyone here knows you as Draco Malfoy." She studied his face carefully. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

Malfoy's face had a shuttered look and he merely shrugged his shoulders, evidently not wanting to discuss the topic further. Hermione made a mental note to talk to Healer Johnson about those tests on Malfoy's memory when he returned.

Hoping to coax more information out of him, she asked him to tell her more about the lab.

He stiffened slightly at her request and Hermione felt her body lift at the motion as his muscles flexed. "What does Mate wish to know?"

Hermione shrugged slightly, trying to keep the mood light. "Anything you want to tell me…You said you were there for ten years. Do you remember being taken from Azkaban?"

Malfoy shook his head.

She tried another question. "Did you realise that ten years had passed from when you were taken to when you were rescued?"

This time it was Malfoy's time to shrug. "As Veela said, the potions made the days blurry. But Veela knew it had been a long time."

"The Aurors were coming to Azkaban to release you, you know?" she said, unsure if Malfoy had been made aware of that fact. "You and a few others."

The hold on her hand merely tightened in acknowledgement of her words and Hermione tilted her head back down. For a few more moments, she simply stared at both of their outstretched legs.

So many questions were buzzing through her mind but she wasn't sure if she could ask most of them. A comfortable aura seemed to have settled in their room and she didn't want to be the one to disrupt that, especially after Malfoy had given her a reprieve from all things bonding ceremony related.

Finally she settled on something neutral. "Does it hurt? When you extend your wings?"

Malfoy shook his head. "There is only a slight pinch for a small moment."

_A slight pinch…which meant for a full human it would feel like their skin was being sliced open._ Hermione shook the morbid thought away.

"I don't understand how they can just…break out like that. Where do they go?"

"Veela can feel them under his skin when they are recoiled."

"You can feel them now?" Hermione questioned.

"They are fluttering always under the skin. That is how they are ready to outstretch at any moment."

Hermione turned back to the thoughts she'd had at Fleur's home. "Can you control it or is it an instinctive movement." She asked. Until now, she had only seen his wings when he was "under attack"…or when he was protecting her.

Malfoy answered her question by unleashing his wings. Hermione held her breath in her chest as the wing furthest from her settled onto Malfoy's side whilst the closest pinion curved over to cover her body. When the soft feathers touched the bare skin of her arm and legs, she immediately felt warmth emit from the black feathers.

"They're warm." She commented, lightly shifting her legs so she could feel the feathers move over her skin without making it outright obvious that she wanted to touch them.

"The blood extends from the body to the very tip." Malfoy answered.

Growing more confident, Hermione slowly reached out and ran a finger along the black plume. Malfoy's chest rumbled and vibrated in pleasure.

She studied the pattern of overlapping feathers. "How did you know that you could fly with them?"

"Veela knew. But the flight with his Hermione was only the second time Veela had flown. Veela enjoyed it."

Hermione snorted as she remembered how terrified she had been. "Your Mate however, did not." She quipped with a chuckle before she tensed back up, realising what she had just referred to herself as. She cursed herself mentally. That was the second time now that she had slipped up and called herself Malfoy's Mate.

Thankfully, Malfoy didn't seem to notice her slip up.

He continued. "Flying makes Veela feel free. His Mate will also learn to enjoy it."

Hermione let out a bark of laughter at the idea. "I think I'll keep my feet on solid land thank you very much."

Malfoy stiffened once more. "His Hermione does not trust Veela to keep her safe?"

Hermione quickly shook her head as she looked back up at him. "It's not that. I've just…never been very good when it comes to all things flying. I could barely even get the broomstick to heed by command during our lessons with Madame Hooch in our first year. She made me promise that if I never tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, she would give me the lowest possible mark for me to pass the class. I think she grew quite exasperated at me." She said as she chuckled.

Hermione drifted off as she lost herself to the memories and it was a short while before she picked up the conversation again. "…It was the only class in which you had beaten me. You teased me about it mercilessly."

Malfoy jerked and his hold on her tightened. "_Veela_ would never tease his Mate."

Hermione said nothing, not knowing how to explain, yet again, that "Veela" and Malfoy were one in the same.

"This Malfoy- he hurt you?"

Hermione knew the answer to his question but she made light of his question. "Sometimes," she said with a dismissing shrug, "I could handle myself for the most part. And I grew oddly immune to the term "Mudblood.""

"Mudblood?"

Hermione whipped her head up, her forehead wrinkled. "You don't know what it means?"

Malfoy frowned before shaking his head.

Hermione sighed as she looked back down, not wanting to look into his eyes as she explained. "It means dirty blood. You never missed the opportunity to remind me of how beneath you I was."

The wing around her shifted and tucked her body closer to Malfoy's. "Not _Veela_."

Hermione sighed and tried to lift the depressing mood now hanging over the two of them. "It's quite ironic that it's now my dirty blood you're craving." She said with a chuckle. In her head, a young Hermione, complete with bushy hair and buck teeth waved her fist victoriously in a young Malfoy's face.

"Veela will make sure that this Malfoy will never hurt you again."

Upon hearing those strange words, Hermione looked back up at him. "You can't just hope you never regain your memories. That wouldn't be a good thing." She told him.

Malfoy was saved from answering when there was a knock on the door. Using Malfoy's chest as leverage, Hermione pulled herself into a sitting position and turned to Malfoy. "Maybe you should put your wings away?" she suggested.

Malfoy did so instantly and Hermione missed the warmth. She called for the person to enter as she rubbed the goosebumps that had appeared on her cooling skin. Malfoy immediately tugged her body back into the crook of his arm and all possible awkwardness disappeared from her mind when she felt his heat again.

When she saw Healer Johnson enter the room, she couldn't help but discreetly try to get Malfoy to drop the arm he had just curled around her body. He refused to move it an inch, going as far as giving her a warning squeeze, and Hermione was left to turn her attention to her second problem.

She tugged at her clothes nervously, not wanting Healer Johnson to see her in such casual, revealing clothes. With a quick flip, Malfoy had her lifted off the bed for a half second before he yanked the duvet out from under her and pulled it over to cover her body, all the way up until her armpits. Hermione gave him a grateful smile.

"How are things proceeding here?" Healer Johnson asked as he walked to the foot of the bed.

Hermione glanced at Malfoy who simply nodded his head once in answer to the question.

"Did you manage to find anything at Shell Cottage?" she asked.

From the look that fell over Healer Johnson face's, Hermione knew her hopes were about to be dashed. "I'm afraid not. Mrs Weasley is only a quarter Veela and other than her more obvious physical characteristics, she does not have any of the other attributes that Mr Malfoy is experiencing."

"What about her mother? Surely being half Veela she would know more?" Hermione asked desperately.

Healer Johnson shook his head once again. "I too had the same thought. But it seems Mrs Delacour was only a carrier of the gene."

Hermione slumped against the headboard. "I thought the Veela gene was dominant." She said, growing unfairly angry at Healer Johnson for not getting her the answers she wanted.

"Normally it is. But it is not unusual to see the manifestation skip a generation. You're probably wondering on why I took so long."

Hermione pushed her irrational anger against the older man back to the recesses of her mind and nodded once.

"When I realised that we weren't going to get any of the answers we were looking for, I asked the Aurors to arrange an international portkey so I could travel to Bulgaria."

Hermione grew more puzzled. "Bulgaria?"

"Yes, I'm not sure how much you know about the Bulgarian Quidditch team but they have a large group of female Veelas as their team mascots."

Hermione gasped. _Of course! How had she forgotten that?! _Her hopes suddenly climbed back up again and she looked at Healer Johnson with an eager expression.

"I had to be careful on how much information I could reveal to them and I thought it best not to disclose the full picture of Mr Malfoy's Veela side. I tried to garner any information regarding the bonding ceremony. Understandably, they were standoffish and refused to answer any of my questions. I had no choice but to ask them if they had any knowledge of male Veelas. Unfortunately, this entire situation has been reported on extensively in the Bulgarian papers and the female Veelas put two and two together. They began bargaining with me that they would give me the answers to my questions if I allowed them…access… to Mr Malfoy."

Hermione heckles rose instantly and she jolted upright. "What do you mean they wanted _access_ to him?!"

Malfoy's arm pulled on her gently until she was leaning back against his side. "Hermione has no reason to be jealous. Mate is his Mate. Veela wants no other female."

Hermione crossed her arms across her chest as she furiously tried to tamper down on the ridiculous jealously she was feeling. _What in Merlin's name was wrong with her?_ She was trying to get Malfoy to see that she wasn't his Mate- she couldn't very well act possessive over him at the same time! She was losing her mind. Their closeness this morning had addled her brain.

"Of course, I declined their offer. It would be a breach in security for me to invite them here, especially when the situation with the remainder of the Wizarding World is so precarious. Not to mention it is extremely unethical. Unfortunately, my answer didn't sit too well with the unmated Veelas in the group."

Hermione froze. "What did they do?"

"As the Muggle saying goes, the claws came out- only this time, there were actual claws involved. The Aurors called an immediate end to our meeting. The only useful piece of information I was able to garner was that they knew of no other way than blood exchange to sate their hunger for their Mate's blood. In fact, my question was met with louds shrieks of derision."

Hermione glanced at Malfoy only to see him looking at her with an "I told you so" look on his face. She swallowed heavily, the implications of what this meant beginning to weigh heavily on her mind.

"So there's no choice then." She stated in a final tone.

Healer Johnson sent her a sympathetic look. "There may still be some hope. We have yet to determine how long Mr Malfoy can survive with merely smelling your blood through your skin."

Hermione didn't like the image that appeared in her head. One of Malfoy slowly growing hungrier and hungrier, day by day as he smelt her so called blood essence, before one day snapping and attacking her when the temptation grew too strong for him to control. That ending did not bode well for her!

Her head began to pain from the thoughts running through it and she rubbed at it tiredly. Maybe it would be best to move onto another problem. She changed the subject. "I was actually looking for you this morning. I was hoping you would be able to run some tests on Mr Malfoy so we can determine what is wrong with his memory."

Healer Johnson nodded. "I must admit that with all the goings on at the moment, the tests had slipped my mind. I'll carry them out now if that is alright with you, Mr Malfoy. It shouldn't take too long to determine the problem- and then we can get around to solving it."

From beside her, Malfoy shifted uneasily but he nodded his acquiescence. For the next few moments there was silence as Healer Johnson performed his spells. Hermione could see the results for herself and joined the elder Healer in his worry when all the tests came up as negative. In the end, she took matters into her own hands and began performing spells on Malfoy alongside Healer Johnson.

There was one negative result after the other and when their arsenal of spells had been exhausted, both Healer Johnson and Hermione looked at each other in confusion before they turned to Malfoy.

"According to the tests, it seems as if you haven't lost your memory at all." Hermione told him. She couldn't help the suspiciousness in her voice and Malfoy turned to her.

"Surely Mate would find this to be good news?"

Hermione's frown deepened. "…It's… puzzling news. The scans should have picked something up. I don't understand why-" her voice trailed off as she looked over to Healer Johnson.

The other wizard's look of confusion hadn't abated either. "I'll need to discuss this with Healer Bentley."

Hermione could only nod her head as Healer Johnson walked back over to the door. "I believe your lunches are being prepared and should be with you shortly." He said.

Hermione smiled at him in thanks and waited until he had closed the door before she turned to face Malfoy again. Her mouth opened to speak but no sound came out of it. She had no clue what to say. She couldn't very well break down and beg him not to bite her and drink her blood in order to save his life, all because she was a little skittish about the entire process.

She sighed as she clung to the hope that he would be fine with merely smelling her. She would gladly take being plastered to his side whilst he sniffed her than being under him whilst he sucked at her.

Her mind turned dirty for a brief moment and she quickly shook her head to get rid of the images playing through it. When she stopped, she found Malfoy staring at her with a curious look on his face and she gave him a small smile. He returned her smile and hooked an arm around her waist before pulling her deeper into his side.

This time, Hermione found it ten times more difficult to relax against him.

ooo

They ate their lunch in relative quiet, deciding to eat in the kitchen rather than continue being cooped up in their room. Hermione was glad at the decision. After Healer Johnson's visit, it seemed like the comfortable companionship they had been building that morning had vanished and Hermione really hadn't wanted to eat lunch in stifling silence.

Malfoy's disposition seemed better and Hermione covertly watched as he ate some of his own meal. _Maybe this whole smelling her blood through her skin idea had merit…_ She only hoped that it lasted for a while and they would be able to put off the drinking her blood solution.

Malfoy inevitably finished eating before she did but he watched her patiently as she slurped down the reminder of her soup. When she'd finished and their dishes were spelled to clean themselves in the sink, the two of them left the kitchen.

In the empty atrium, Hermione turned to him instead of heading up the stairs to their room.

"Feel like taking a walk?" she asked him.

The look on Malfoy's face made it clear he would prefer to be back in their bed but Hermione refused to budge. She desperately needed the fresh air. Eventually, Malfoy nodded in agreement.

Hermione sent him a smile. "I'll just go up and get a cardigan. It looks windy. You can wait here."

Malfoy shook his head. Casting a wide glance around the empty atrium, and then a second glance around the same space, he turned to face her. "Hermione will wait here. Veela will get her the clothes she requires."

Hermione just looked at him. "Um, okay." She said, shifting from one foot to the other.

Malfoy quickly turned and began jogging up the stairs. Hermione followed his movement with her eyes until he disappeared from view.

"You haven't given him what he needs." Came an accusing voice.

Thinking she was alone, Hermione jumped at the voice and turned her head. Rose's face was twisted in an angry expression and Hermione stepped back, surprised that the other witch was looking at her in that way when the other times Hermione had seen her, she had looked terrified or she had been coming to her aid.

"I'm sorry?" she said, thinking that she must not have heard right.

"You heard me. You're going to kill him. He doesn't just want your blood. He _needs_ it. You're _starving_ him…and he's too caught up in thinking that _you're_ his Mate to even worry about himself."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think that this is any of your business Miss Cottilard." She said in a steely tone.

Rose scoffed. "You have no idea what he's gone through. What we both went through…together. He may have deluded himself that you are his Mate but you can't give him what he needs."

Her words were eerily like the ones she had heard Felix spout and Hermione bristled. Before she could stop the words from being spoken, they blurted out of her mouth. "What? And you can?"

Rose looked at her. "Actually, yes. Right now, I'm the only one who can. But because of you, he refuses to even entertain the idea that I might be his Mate."

Hermione sucked in a tight breath. "_You've talked to him about this?_"

Rose sent her a dirty look. "Of course I have."

Hermione frowned. "I thought Veela Mate's were supposed to be "made for each other." How can you think he's your Mate when he thinks he's mine?"

Rose looked startled for a second before her dirty look shuttered her face once more. "I spent ten years in that dark hole with him. I only had him. And he only had me."

And somehow, Hermione understood. "…You love him." She whispered quietly.

The words travelled within the empty space and Rose's face turned to show utter agony. "I've loved him for ten years." She whispered back.

And then suddenly, her head jolted to the side. With one last look at Hermione, she quickly turned around and walked away. Struck still, Hermione could only watch in silence as she vanished.

* * *

_Author's Note: A huge cheers to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter with a special shout out to Kou Shun'u who mentioned the possibility of contacting the Bulgarian Quidditch Team Veela mascots. I must admit, I'd completely forgotten they even existed! To everyone who's sent me reviews and PM's begging me to let them know what's happening with Padma, Blaise and James. I'm sorry- I know I promised there would be more from them in this chapter but I hadn't planned on writing the whole bit with Rose and so the chapter was getting too long, especially with everything that I wanted to include about those three characters. As an apology, how about a sneak peak that involves them? Does that get me back into your good books? As always, thank you so very much for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Merlin, Hermione couldn't believe it. _Rose was in love with Malfoy…_

"What is wrong?"

Hermione stifled her squeak with a harsh bite of her bottom lip. Malfoy was standing at the top of the first flight of stairs and was looking down at her with his head cocked to the side in confusion. Hermione swallowed as she pasted a smile on her face whilst she shook her head.

She watched as Malfoy slowly descended the steps until he was stood right in front of her. His intent gaze studied her face as she refused to meet his eyes as she haphazardly pulled on the cardigan he had extended to her. When she was done and felt like she had complete control over her facial features once more, she tilted her head back up only to see him scanning the atrium with a furrowed brow.

"Shall we go?" she asked quickly, hoping they could leave before his hypersensitive nose picked up any trace of Rose having been near her.

Malfoy's frown deepened but he nodded once in agreement and the two made their way over to the exit. As they stepped outside, Hermione took in a deep breath of fresh air and closed her eyes briefly as she felt the skin on her face soak in the warm sun.

Malfoy reached for her hand, knotting his fingers with hers tightly before they began walking across the grounds. In the silence, Hermione couldn't help but turn her thoughts back to Rose. The female Veela was in love with Malfoy…but Malfoy had made it clear that Hermione was his Mate. And to be honest, no matter how much Hermione didn't like the idea, she was beginning to realise in the back of her mind that the fact just might be true.

Which meant Rose loved Malfoy but her Veela didn't recognise him to be her Mate. For some reason, the idea hadn't ever occurred to Hermione before. She had it in her mind that a witch who carried the Veela gene would only ever fall in love with her respective Mate. She had forgotten that Veela's were still part human with human feelings…And since Rose had yet to find her Mate…And after what she and Malfoy had gone through together in the lab with the forced mating and the subsequent torture…

Hermione frowned. It was no wonder that Rose had fallen in love with Malfoy. If Hermione had been in her position, isolated with Malfoy in darkness for 10 years whilst he protected her as best he could from the rogue scientists, she too would have developed a deep bond with him which she could easily believe to be love, despite the rational side of her mind realising that her Veela wasn't attracted to him in the same way.

"Hmm."

Hermione broke out of her unsettling musings as she heard Malfoy speak. Looking around, she realised that they had headed in the direction of her and Padma's cottage.

"What is it?" she asked him.

He was studying a spot with narrowed eyes. "The Vampire and the Werewolf." He replied simply with a jerk of his head into the far forest shaded distance.

Hermione turned in the direction and squinted her eyes but she could make out nothing…or nobody. "I can't see anything." She told him.

Malfoy's hand merely gripped hers tighter. "The Werewolf is leaning against a tree. The Vampire is twelve feet away from him, hidden deeper in the forest."

Hermione tried to spot them again but failed. "I wonder why Zabini is out here again? I thought Padma was covering me in the Ward?"

"The witch is helping her sister unpack her belongings."

Hermione straightened. "Parvati's here? I didn't know she was coming today."

Malfoy didn't reply as they continued to head in the same direction. Finally Hermione managed to spot a figure with long dark hair swishing around her waist but she still couldn't make out which twin it was. At the moment, all she could think about was thank Merlin Padma would be at the cottage. She needed to speak to her…urgently.

She turned back to Malfoy. "Do you know what's going on between Zabini and James and Padma? I don't want to see her get hurt."

Malfoy looked down at her. "What makes my Hermione think her friend will get hurt?"

Hermione shrugged. "Are they serious? Are they playing a game with her? Because it isn't very funny."

"Does Mate think the Vampire and the Werewolf are playing a game?"

Hermione frowned in contemplation. "…Zabini, No. James, Yes."

Malfoy smiled as he lifted her hand to run his lips over her knuckles. He spoke after a few seconds. "They both want to claim her."

Hermione stumbled at his words. She would have fallen had Malfoy not had such a tight grip on her hand. "What do you mean they both want to _claim_ her?"

"What does Mate think Veela means?" he asked, turning the question back onto her once again.

Hermione groaned at his constant evasiveness. "Malfoy…please."

He smiled and dropped his chin further. "The Males want to claim the witch as their Mate." He said, his smile morphing into a sly grin. "Just as Veela wants to claim his Hermione as his."

Hermione sent him a sharp look. "I thought you weren't going to mention all things bonding ceremony related?"

Malfoy conceded but didn't look very happy about it according to the glare he sent her way.

Hermione ignored it and asked her question again. "What do you mean they both want to claim Padma as their Mate?" she demanded.

She knew they both seemed to like Padma but she had thought they were both looking for something casual… and that James was going after Padma purely to piss off Zabini because he had shown an interest. _She certainly hadn't thought the word "Mate" was being bandied around!_

"She can only be Mate to one." Malfoy stated, not actually answering her question.

"What do you mean she can only be Mate to one of them?" Hermione asked in an annoyed tone.

Malfoy looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. Confused, she looked up at him and he continued. "They are both Alpha's. They will not share."

Hermione gasped, blushed and spluttered at the same time. She ran over what she had said mentally and her flush burned brighter. "I didn't mean it like that!" she rushed to explain. "I meant how do you know she's a Mate to one of them?"

Malfoy's smile showed he continued to enjoy her embarrassment. "Veela cannot be certain if she is Mate to either." he said before he tugged at her hand. Hermione looked up at him. "Is my Hermione aware on how vampires and werewolves recognise their Mate?"

Hermione frowned before she shook her head.

Malfoy smirked at her. "Veela's Hermione should ask her friend. Veela is sure that she will know." He said before chuckling. Hermione drank in the carefree sound. "Veela thinks his Hermione will be happy that Veela can find their Mate through scent alone."

Hermione frowned at the vague information he had given her. Instead of hounding Malfoy for more, she began walking towards Padma and Parvati's cottage in a more determined stroll. As she neared, she couldn't help but glance around to see if she could spot James or Zabini.

She found the former surprisingly easily. He was standing as Malfoy had told her, his body leaning against a thick tree trunk with his arms crossed nonchalantly across his chest… but his red eyes were watching the scene in front of him with an intensity that belied his casual persona.

Hermione found herself continuing to study James when the part werewolf suddenly snapped his head her way. It was too late for her to look away as if she hadn't been staring at him and she saw James grin arrogantly, his eyes flashing in amusement at having caught her.

Hermione blushed red and cleared her throat uncomfortably. Malfoy's hand tightened around hers, his claws beginning to dig into her skin. She looked up at him to see him sizing up James and quickly tugged on his hand until she had his attention once more.

"He's harmless." She told him.

Malfoy made a noise that was a mixture between a scoff, a snort and a growl. "The Were wasn't harmless when he was attacking my Mate."

"That was a one off thing. He was just surprised at my presence."

Malfoy didn't look reassured. "Mate will stay away from him. Veela demands it."

Hermione's eyebrow's rose so fast she felt her eyes sting at the rapid movement. "Excuse me?" she asked rhetorically.

Malfoy looked down on her, impervious as ever. "Veela's Hermione will stay away from the Werewolf." He ordered again.

Hermione wriggled her arm wildly until Malfoy got the picture and let go of her. She angrily crossed her arms over her chest as she tilted her head up so he received the full force of her glower.

"You don't get to say who I can or can't see or speak to." She told him. Malfoy growled warningly at her tone but she continued on. "I already told you that James is harmless. In the future, keep your demands to yourself. I don't like being told what to do and I most certainly won't take it from you!"

She began stomping away, hoping that Malfoy got the picture. Apparently he didn't. She was swept off her feet in one second, easily tossed around in the next, and pulled closer until she was nose to nose with a pissed off looking Veela.

"Hermione is Veela's!"

Hermione's ears rang at the bellow. She was pretty sure the birds in the trees had flown away at the sound. _Merlin- she was pretty sure everyone back at the Manor would have ducked for cover!_

She angrily dug her fingernails into his biceps. "Put me down! Merlin, Malfoy! Now!"

Her actions had no effect on Malfoy. "Hermione will say she belongs to Veela!"

Hermione gritted her teeth as she stared back at him. When she had gotten hold of the all-consuming wave of anger that had risen at his words, she spoke in a deathly cold voice. "I don't belong to you, Malfoy. Even if I accepted the fact that I was your Mate, I still wouldn't _belong_ to you!"

"Is everything okay here?" Hermione heard a female voice ask.

She knew it had been Padma that had spoken because from what Hermione knew of Parvati, the witch would have probably hexed Malfoy by now. She tried to turn her head in her friend's direction and assure her that she was fine but Malfoy jerked her forward until their noses banged together. One arm left her waist and she felt his claws tangle in her hair as he cradled her head, stopping her from looking away from him.

"Leave us witch!" he told Padma, his words coming out in harsh puffs of air that hit Hermione's lips. "My Mate and I need to talk."

"…Hermione?" she heard Padma say; still looking for assurance that she was okay.

"I'm fine Padma. Go back inside." She said, not wanting her to potentially put herself in harm's way.

"Maybe I should call someone….Parvati..."

Before Hermione could say no, she heard another female voice.

"Too late. What in Merlin's name is going on? Hermione? Is that you?" she heard the witch question before she took in a sharp intake of air. "Merlin, is that Malfoy? What are you doing, Malfoy? Let her go! Now!"

Hermione watched as Malfoy's eyes narrowed dangerously and his gaze left hers to settle on a figure over her left shoulder…Parvati, she assumed. He growled in anger.

Hermione lifted her hands until both palms landed on Malfoy's cheeks and she forcefully turned his head back so he was looking at her. "Stop it! You're acting like a crazy…possessive…mad man!" she told him.

"Lover's quarrel?" she heard an amused voice say. James.

"Stay out of it _Were._" Malfoy rumbled.

"Gladly," she heard James reply. "Just as soon as you put the good Healer down and take your quarrel elsewhere," then his voice turned cold, "somewhere where no-one else will get caught in the crossfire."

Hermione jerked. _Merlin- was he trying to protect Padma from getting hurt?_

"Enough, Draco. Put your Mate down."

It seemed Zabini had come out of his hiding spot. Hermione heard a surprised gasp before Padma spoke in alarm. "What are you doing outside? _In the sun! _Your skin will get burnt! It's already turning red!"

Hermione tried to crane her head around, the Healer in her not being able to help but get a look at Zabini's burning skin. Malfoy's claws put a stop to that. She turned back to him. "Put me down!" He refused and remembering something, she tried a different tactic. "You're hurting me." She told him.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed at her words. "Veela is being very careful not to hurt his Mate. She will not _lie_ to him!"

Hermione got closer to his face. "Not all hurt is physical, _Malfoy_." She said, spitting out his name in disgust. "Now put me down!"

She let out a surprised squeak as he quickly dropped her back onto her own feet. She locked her wobbling knees in place before she looked up at him. He was staring down at her with a closed look over his face and she cleared her throat and took a step away from him. One hand rose to nervously pat her hair down whilst the other brushed over her body in order to straighten her clothes.

It was only then that she turned to look at the remainder of their little group. Zabini had his ever present unruffled look over his reddening face, Padma was glancing between him, James and Malfoy in worry, Parvati was looking at Malfoy in ire whilst James still had his arrogant grin plastered across his face.

And then without a word, Zabini turned on his heel and made his way back to the forest, no doubt to disappear into the trees once again. Padma watched him leave until he hit the edge of the woodland and then with one uneasy look at James, she quickly hurried to follow him.

Hermione flicked her gaze back to James in interest. His red eyes were flicking between a retreating Padma and Parvati who had yet to take her eyes off Malfoy, a small confused furrow between his brows. It seemed he'd made his decision when he gave Padma one last look before settling his gaze firmly on her twin.

Hermione swallowed as she turned to look at the witch herself. Whilst she and Padma had looked eerily similar in Hogwarts, over the years it seemed they had changed physically. Parvati's skin was tanner than Padma's, no doubt due to her job requiring her to trek all over the world. Her thick hair was trimmed slightly shorter than Padma's, hitting the middle of her back instead of her waist and in her denim shorts and T-shirt, he arms and legs were more toned than her sister's.

Hermione smiled as she moved to hug her old housemate. "How have you been?" she asked. "Padma told me about the journalism prize you won when you went undercover in South America. Congratulations!"

Parvati smiled, finally taking her eyes off Malfoy. "Thank you. I've been good. How have you been?"

"Good…busy!" Hermione replied.

Parvati eyed up Malfoy. "Hmmm. I can tell. I just got here forty-five minutes ago so Padma hasn't had a chance to catch me up on everything yet. Maybe you should?"

Hermione smiled. "It's a long story. How about we go inside? I could do with a cup of tea."

Parvati nodded and as the two stepped towards the cottage, Malfoy moved as if to follow her. Hermione turned to him and waggled a finger in his face. "I don't think so, Malfoy. You can stay out here and make nice with James." She told him.

"James?" Parvati asked.

Hermione turned just in time to see the witch's eyes turn to meet James's red stare and the flinch Hermione had been expecting, didn't happen.

"James Rosier." James said, introducing himself with a smirk before he turned to look at Hermione. "And I'll be coming with the two of you if you plan to tell _her_ about us." He said, his head jerking in Parvati's direction when he spoke the word her. "I want to know how much you give away. That way I'll know what she'll write."

Hermione rolled her eyes, remembering the wizard's aversion to having a journalist present on the Manor's grounds.

She heard Parvati scoff. "And who are you exactly?" she asked. "Because I don't recall inviting you to go anywhere."

James's eyes flashed before he straightened. "I'm the leader of the tenebris seminio." He said importantly.

"Co-leader. With Zabini." Hermione interjected.

Parvati didn't look impressed. "And?"

James clenched his teeth together. "And as leader, I will be present for any conversations about the tenebris ones so I can make sure that you don't print any rubbish in that rag of yours."

Parvati gasped in an affronted breath. "Excuse me? _My rag!_ You were the one who invited _me _here, not the other way around!"

"I didn't _want_ to invite you here." James growled. "It's only asking for trouble."

"Trouble!" Parvati snapped.

James moved closer to her. "Yes, trouble!"

From the look that crossed Parvati's face, Hermione prepared herself to intervene should the witch lose control of her temper and hex James…or worse, aim a swift kick to a delicate area. But Parvati only smiled coldly as she leaned back, a calculated look passing over her face.

"James Rosier? Weren't you in Hogwarts in 1997?"

The werewolf looked momentarily confused before his annoyed expression descended back down once again. He answered, grudgingly. "Yes. I was in my seventh year."

Parvati smiled evilly. "Yes, I remember. You dated Susan Hurst for a while."

Hermione frowned, trying to figure out what Parvati was trying to do whilst at the same time, trying to picture who Susan Hurst had been.

"She dumped you…didn't she?" Parvati continued.

James snarled. "I dumped her. We fucked once and she started turning into a clingy bitch."

Hermione couldn't help her gasp escaping at his crude words.

Parvati merely smiled slyly. "That isn't the story she was telling her friends in the girls bathroom. As far as I can remember, she dumped _you_ because you couldn't please her in the bedroom."

Hermione watched James's face turn red, his eyes flashing dangerously. Suddenly, her worry turned from protecting James to protecting Parvati.

The witch continued on conversationally. "You know, on account of your small…" she let her words trail off as she pointedly looked at the area between his legs.

James looked dumbstruck before he began stalking up to Parvati. The witch didn't have the good sense to back down and retreat.

"James! Stop!" Hermione squeaked out. She made to move forward but Malfoy hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her back to his chest.

"Try it!" Parvati told James as he loomed over her, her face reflecting the same anger as James's, "Try it and then you try and control what I write. I write the truth, Rosier! Nothing but the truth! And nothing you say or do will stop me. So if you think you managed to find a meek little journalist who'll write whatever you want, you're severely mistaken."

Hermione could hear the angry pants James took to control his anger. After a few seconds of tense silence, he managed to take a small step away from Parvati. He looked down at her with heat in his eyes. "Trouble!" he snapped angrily before he turned around and trailed away.

Hermione didn't know whether to admonish Parvati for making James purposely angry or give her a pat on the back for bringing him down a peg or two.

"I'll put the kettle on." Parvati stated as she walked into the cottage as if nothing had happened. Hermione could only watch her go in dumb silence.

_Well…it seemed things were certainly going to get a lot more interesting around here…_

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh my goodness! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and made the fic pass the 1000 review mark! eeeek! I still can't believe it! Thank You Thank You Thank You! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter and can't wait for those of you who are Padma/Blaise/James fans to read it! Let's just say that their stories all come tumbling out! As always, a sneak peak is up for grabs! Thank you for reviewing and until next time, Curiositykils! _


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

An hour had passed since Hermione had followed Parvati into the cottage. Over tea and carrot cake, she had caught Parvati up to speed on everything she knew about the tenebris seminio and patiently answered the witch's many _many_ questions.

Malfoy had remained outside of the cottage for the entire time. After fifteen minutes or so, Hermione had begun feeling guilty and she'd opened the door to invite him in. Malfoy had had his back to her and was standing a few short steps from the front door when she'd opened it. He'd dismissed her offer, muttering something crazy about him being able to guard the cottage better from the outside and Hermione had left him to it.

She and Parvati were catching up on what had been going on in the ten years that they hadn't seen each other when Hermione heard the front door open and close. Expecting to see Malfoy, she was mildly surprised when Padma slipped into the room. The flustered look on the witch's face instantly got Hermione wondering.

"What's wrong?" Parvati asked, her eyes zeroing in on the same look Hermione had picked up on.

"Nothing." Padma denied quickly.

"How many times have I told you that you're rubbish at lying, _didi?_"

Hermione watched Padma roll her eyes and sigh at her twins words but she still refused to answer truthfully. "Everything's fine." She said as she sat down heavily in the armchair to the side of Hermione's.

"Is Zabini okay?" Hermione asked.

She watched in fascination as a pink tinge coloured Padma's cheeks. A quick glance in Parvati's direction saw the other witch had seen the involuntary action also and from the narrowed eye glare she was sending her sister's way, she didn't like it.

"He's fine. The burns were only slight."

"Is he back at the Manor?" Hermione asked.

Padma sighed before shaking her head in exasperating manner. "I left him there but I don't think he listened to me. He's probably back out there again." She said, jerking her head to the window.

Parvati stood from her seat and crossed over to said window. "And why exactly is Zabini standing under a tree staring at our cottage?" she asked, evidently spotting the part Vampire in the distance.

Padma shrugged and Hermione kept her mouth shut. If the witch wanted to keep her secrets than Hermione wouldn't say anything whilst Parvati was in the room, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't kidnap Padma later on for a little talk. She was more than ready to unburden everything that was going on between her and Malfoy. She needed a sane voice telling her that she was acting insane.

"And why in Merlin's name is Rosier standing out there too?" Parvati demanded to know in an offended voice.

Hermione watched with a raised eyebrow as the witch sent James a sarcastic wave of hello before she spelled the curtains shut. Padma sighed at the action as she waved her own wand and ignited the fireplace so the room was lit once more.

Padma spoke, evidently hoping to change the topic of conversation away from her. "I saw an Auror at the Manor. He told me to remind you that Kingsley is going to be coming down later on so he can welcome you to the Manor and so you can have a talk with him, Blaise and James about what they want you to do for them. It should be in an hour or so."

Parvati nodded as she waved a hand dismissingly. "Yeah, I got an Owl before I left France. I think I'm going to take a shower. I don't want to be all sweaty when I meet everyone."

Padma nodded. "There should be hot water in the tank."

Parvati gave them one last smile before she walked out of the room. Hermione watched her go, wondering how the witch's meeting would go later on and whether she should warn Kingsley to sit Parvati and James on opposite ends of the table.

Padma stood from her seat, extinguishing the flames and pulling open the curtains to allow the natural sunlight back into the room.

Hermione waited until she had resumed her seat before she turned to her. "So are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Blaise then? Or you and James for that matter?"

Padma shifted uncomfortably before sighing out loud, dropping her head back onto the headrest of the armchair. "I don't know." She said tiredly.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I just wish that everything could go back to how it was before I met either of them."

Hermione snorted. "Yeah, no kidding."

Padma turned her head in Hermione's direction. "I heard what happened in the Ward with you and Malfoy. Are you okay? What's going on?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when Padma lifted a finger. Grabbing her wand, she whispered a spell. Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Muffliato spell. I learnt the hard way about their hypersensitive hearing." Padma replied.

Hermione blushed, not believing that she had completely forgotten about that.

"We should be okay now. So what were you saying?"

Hermione quickly explained what had happened and before she knew it, she'd blurted out the entire conversation with Rose too. When she'd finished, Padma's eyebrows, that had steadily been rising the more Hermione confided in her, were ready to be lifted off her face.

"Merlin…" The witch breathed out.

Hermione raised her own eyebrows as she nodded her head. "I'm so confused. So much is happening and I feel as if I have no control over it. I don't know how long Malfoy will be okay with smelling my blood through my skin and this whole Rose thing!"

Padma lifted her hands, indicating for Hermione to calm down. "Okay, let's just think things through calmly."

Hermione nodded even though she didn't think it would do much good.

"Let's start with Rose. You said she thinks she's in love with Malfoy. How can that be? Wouldn't her Veela have a say?"

Hermione sighed. "From what I've tried to figure out, it's her human half that's fallen in love with Malfoy. They were both in the lab together and Malfoy told me that the scientists tried to…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at discussing what had happened to Malfoy without his permission. She shook head, "The scientists would hurt them sometimes and I think Malfoy tried to protect her as best he could."

"So she fell in love with him. Or her human half did?"

Hermione nodded. "She hasn't found her Mate yet so I suppose it could happen. But I think she knows deep down that she isn't his true Mate but she's in denial…or something. I know it's going to sound horrible but maybe I should talk to Healer Johnson about getting the patients some psychiatric help. They were held in dark labs for up to ten years- that has to affect a person."

"You can try. But I don't think the patients will appreciate it." Padma stated.

Hermione pinched her lips, knowing the words to be true. _But still… she had a responsibility as a Healer…_

"So are you going to tell Malfoy about the conversation with Rose?" Padma asked.

Hermione frowned before she slowly shook her head. "The two of them were obviously close in the lab. I don't want to get in the middle of their…relationship…friendship…whatever they have. But I don't really want to deal with a jealous female Veela either. I was just so surprised- up until now, Rose just seemed so meek and terrified…it was like she was a different person."

"Do you think she'll come and talk to you again?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think she would say anything in front of Malfoy and he barely refuses to leave me alone."

"On the subject of Malfoy…"

Hermione sighed and dragged her fingers through her hair. "I know he keeps saying I'm his Mate…but the whole idea still just feels so wrong. Think of it from my side- I mean it's _Draco Malfoy_ for Merlin's sake. I know he's lost his memories but that doesn't mean I have. I can't just forget everything that he did to me in Hogwarts. And I _know_ that if he remembered who I was, he would be fighting this as much as I am, despite his Veela side…wanting me."

"His scans were really negative?"

Hermione nodded miserably. "I have no idea what's going on. And if feels wrong to get close…or intimate…with someone when they can't remember who you are."

Padma made an agreeable sound.

Hermione continued. "That's the least of my worries. He said he needs to take my blood fresh from my vein. Forgive me if the idea doesn't appeal to me."

Padma snorted. "Believe me, I know what you're going through." She said before tensing up.

Sensing Padma wanted Hermione to gloss over her words, she did so even if her mind was buzzing in its quest for information. "It just feels like giving in. If I do let him drink from me, Merlin that sounds so weird, it's going to turn into a regular thing and then I'll never be able to get free. I'm not ready for this- I mean we've known each for _three days!_ We hardly even know each other- as if that wasn't obvious from this afternoon."

"Healer Johnson is right. You don't know how long Malfoy will stay healthy with merely smelling your blood." Padma said optimistically.

"But it's not going to last forever is it?"

"So if at the end…when it isn't enough…"

Hermione tucked her knees to her chest. "I'll let him. I don't really have a choice, do I? I can't let him die."

Following her admission, the two witches sat in silence. Padma had drifted off into her own musings, her eyes occasionally flicking to the view outside of the window. Hermione, meanwhile, buried her misery in a second piece of cake.

Both witches straightened when they heard the water in the bathroom shut off. Remembering what Malfoy had said about how Vampires and Werewolves recognised their Mates, she put the question to Padma.

The Indian witch clammed up when she heard the question and Hermione thought she wouldn't answer, when she actually saw the witch crumple. Her hands came to scrub over her face so Hermione couldn't see her face.

When she began speaking, Hermione found herself leaning closer to hear Padma's quiet voice.

"Vampires recognise their Mate after they've drank their blood."

Hermione gasped. "But that means…if Zabini thinks…"

Padma turned to her and Hermione saw a sheen of tears in her eyes. "Merlin, Hermione, you've never felt such pain."

"_What?_ When?!" Hermione choked out.

Padma swallowed heavily. "Blaise was in the first lab to be discovered. He was unconscious but stuck in his vampire form and the Auror's didn't know if it was safe to bring him to St Mungo's. They took him to an Auror safe house and Healer Johnson, Heather and I were sent to examine him. When we realised how much medical help he needed, Healer Johnson and Heather went to tell the Auror's that he needed to be transferred to St Mungo's. I was in the room alone with him. I didn't even see him wake up and move… All I felt was his teeth sinking into my neck and pulling. Merlin- it hurt so much."

_Dear Merlin…_

"What did you do? Why isn't this in his chart?"

"Because I didn't tell anyone." Padma whispered shamefully. "I hexed him with my wand which got him to let go but I couldn't call out for help. I couldn't even think about anything other than feeling my blood slipping out of me. Blaise got a hold of himself and using my wand, he performed the healing spell on me…and the scourgify spell…And then he begged me not to tell anyone. He kept saying they would take him back there…Merlin if you could have seen him…" Padma trailed off as she shook her head.

She got up and walked over to the window. "He was so scared. And I was still in shock. When the Auror's came into the room, I found myself saying that he'd woken up and got scared. And then I ran out of the room."

Hermione didn't know what to say…_Merlin!_ She couldn't even imagine the ever stoic Zabini losing control and attacking someone…

"I didn't want to see him again but I couldn't suddenly take the time of work. Not when the Ward needed me…and so I went back. He apologized when he saw me and I tried to keep away from him as much as possible. It was difficult in the beginning though, there weren't as many patients on the Ward so there wasn't any way to ignore him."

Hermione found herself shivering. Thank Merlin Veela recognised their Mate through scent alone. Her mind unexpectedly remembered Fleur's words from when they went to see her at Shell cottage.

_"It's not like a vampire's bite. I've heard that would hurt…"_

Hermione swallowed. "So you're sure Zabini thinks you're his Mate?"

Padma let out a gurgle of laughter which didn't contain an ounce of mirth. "If only it was that simple."

Hermione's eyebrows rose further. _She couldn't see how much more complicated it could get!_

"Blaise says that he didn't get enough of my blood to be sure."

"Please tell me that he doesn't want to try again!" Hermione asked.

Padma nodded. "He said that it wouldn't hurt as much this time. That he wasn't aware of what he was doing the last time and that he didn't inject the numbing agent into my blood to stop most of the pain."

"…_Most_ of the pain?"

Padma turned back to face her. "Exactly. It hurt so much. I don't think I can feel that again. Not when at the end of it, it could turn out that I'm nothing to him and that he's made a mistake."

Hermione reeled back. "So what now?"

Padma sighed as she sat back down. "Now we're in limbo. He's not pushing me anymore because he knows how much he hurt me…but he's not leaving me alone either. Everywhere I look he's there. Like he's waiting for the second I change my mind. But I can't…_I won't._"

Hermione hated to ask but the curiosity in her wouldn't settle until she knew everything. "And James?"

Padma let out another cold bark of laughter. "According to the book I was reading, werewolves find their Mates, and I quote "by rutting with them"."

Hermione choked on the sip of tea she was drinking. "What?!"

Padma snorted as she took her head. "Werewolves are first physically attracted to suitable Mates. But they only know for sure once they've had sex with them and found the Mate who is 100% compatible with them."

"So that means…"

"That means I have Blaise, who wants me to let him bite me so he can see if I'm his Mate, and I have James, who says he's attracted to me and wants me to sleep with him so he can see if I'm his Mate."

_Dear Merlin!_ And Hermione had thought she'd been stuck between a rock and a Malfoy!

But then a thought occurred to her. "But you don't have to do anything do you?" Hermione said.

Padma shook her head. "I don't have to do anything. It's not like you and Malfoy. But both of them- they just won't leave me alone!"

"Who won't leave you alone?" Parvati asked as she walked into the room.

Both Padma and Hermione jumped at the witch's entrance, not having heard her come down the creaky old stairs.

"Mum and Dad. They keep sending Owls that the Auror's have to deliver saying that you have to visit them now that you're back in England." Padma lied quickly.

Parvati rolled her eyes. "They know I'm here for work. And from the security and the Wards I had to go through when I first got here, it's not as if I can just apparate home and see them whenever I want."

"I'll tell them about how difficult it is when I write them tonight." Padma offered quickly.

Parvati nodded her head and Hermione and Padma exchanged a glance, relieved that they had got away with their little lie.

_But for how long…_

* * *

_Author's Note: I know the chapter was shorter than usual- I'm sorry (but I hope you still liked it)! I had planned to write more today but I seemed to have an influx of family members descend upon my house so sitting in my front of my laptop was unfortunately not an option! And I did try to bugger off to my bedroom after six hours of hosting but all I got for my efforts was a lecture from my mother about being unsociable! _

_Just a bit of background info about the chapter- Parvati called Padma "didi" which according to my Google Translator means sister in Hindi. As always, please correct me if I'm wrong. Another reviewer, sahasra, also let me know the meaning behind the twins names which I found interesting and thought you might too. Padma- means flower in sanskrit and most other Indian languages whilst Parvati is the wife of Lord Shiva the destroyer. I'm especially glad about the latter seeing how I'm trying to re-invent her character and show her "Gryffindorness" which seemed to be missing in the books! _

_As always, there's a sneak peak available for the next chapter for those of you who request one in your reviews! __Until next time, Curiositykils._


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

The walk back to the Manor was a strange one.

Malfoy and Hermione seemed to lead the way…an awkward silence crackling in the air between them. Hermione hated to think that she might owe Malfoy an apology- the whole idea seemed preposterous to her… But after she and Padma had concluded their conversation, Hermione had been left to think in silence and her mind had unwittingly wandered into dangerous waters.

_What if she looked at the situation through Malfoy's eyes?_ After spending so long desperately yearning for a Mate, he had ended up with her of all witches. The Mate he'd been landed with was probably nothing like the one he had spent ten years dreaming of whilst holed up in that awful lab. There was no way the Mate he'd visualised would continuously spurn his advances- reject his being and presence again and again.

Yes, she could hardly fall at his feet- not when they had so many problems between them, but more often than not she continued to see him as Draco Malfoy, her childhood tormentor and not Draco Malfoy, Veela.

In her silent musing, Hermione had begun picking away at her actions of whenever she spent time with Malfoy. Or more accurately, her reactions when he inadvertently did something Neanderthal like which she was coming to realise he couldn't help yet.

He would learn. _Merlin he better learn!_ But she wasn't exactly teaching him, was she? Getting angry, which in turn seemed to piss him off further, wasn't going to get them anywhere. If they were going to be stuck with each other for the foreseeable future, they needed to talk. She needed to lay out her expectations of him…and his behaviour, and like it or not, she needed to let him voice his own expectations.

"So do you know who else will be attending this meeting?" Hermione heard Padma ask her sister.

The two witches were following a few metres behind Hermione and Malfoy, a hulking James following close behind them, bringing up the rear of their little group. Hermione had seen Parvati's unimpressed expression when James had joined them. In fact, Hermione's eyebrows had risen rapidly when she'd caught sight of the vicious glare Parvati had sent James's way. And she most certainly hadn't missed the equally venomous glare James had sent back as he settled firmly behind Padma's back.

Hermione had spotted Zabini looking at this interaction from the safety of the trees. She had no doubt that when they were out of eyesight; he would use his inhumane speed and would be awaiting them at the Manor. She still couldn't believe what Padma had told her. Merlin- Zabini seemed so detached from everyone and everything happening around him, she couldn't imagine him losing control and exploding like that.

It kind of made her feel on edge on whether it would happen again. Although not so much whether- more like when.

"Kingsley didn't say much in his letter. I'm guessing it'll just be me, him, Zabini and him," Parvati replied, her thumb jerking angrily behind her to indicate James.

Hermione turned back around so she was looking away from the witch but James's warning growl carried over the slight wind in the air in order to hit her ears. Out of the corner of her eye, she risked a short glance back over to Malfoy.

The part Veela had slowed his steps down to match hers but the dark expression on his face clearly displayed his brooding expression. Deciding this moment might just be the best time to bite the bullet and take the first step, she took in a breath.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked him.

Malfoy's head jerked down to hers as he heard her speak, before the brooding expression on his face morphed to show puzzlement that she was actually talking to him. An unwanted burst of guilt flooded her stomach.

_She hadn't been that unreasonable had she? _Things had been going okay earlier that morning…

"Veela is fine…How is my Hermione?"

"Okay…" Hermione answered lamely.

And that was the extent of their conversation until they jogged up the steps of the Manor and entered the Atrium to find Kingsley waiting for them. As always, he smiled warmly as Hermione caught his eye, his warmness fading slightly as he nodded his head at the rest of the group.

Proving Hermione correct, Zabini walked up to them in his usual unflappable presence. "Shall we?" he asked, his words directed to Kingsley.

The elder wizard nodded his head and Hermione made to move to the side so the group who would be involved with the meeting could detach themselves away from her and Malfoy.

Kingsley spotted her action and he turned to her to explain, "Actually it has been agreed that today's meeting will be an open one. Everyone member of the tenebris seminio as well as the medical staff here at the moment are affected by how the general public perceive this new species. Therefore it is only right that they have a say in how to handle the situation, although the final decision will of course go to Mr Zabini and Mr Rosier."

"You said new species?" Hermione picked up. "Does that mean the Ministry have accepted the fact that a new set of laws will need to be put in place?"

Kingsley nodded. "Several members of the Wizengamot were hesitant as they do not have much knowledge of the tenebris ones but they are aware of the precariousness of their position. The public anger is also directed towards the Ministry and they must do their part to make this transition as smooth as possible. We can discuss more in the meeting," he finished.

Hermione nodded.

"So shall we get this meeting started then?" James asked as he swung an arm around Padma's waist, who immediately tensed up at the action. She wasn't the only one. Both Parvati and Zabini coiled up and both looked ready to attack.

However before another situation arose, Padma shrugged out of James's hold. There was a tense silence for one long moment before Kingsley wisely began herding the group to the room in which the meeting was going to take place.

It turned out to be the Ward. The current patients of the Ward lay in their beds and the other occupants of the Manor, human and half human alike were already situated in the room, waiting for their group to join them. Hermione spotted Healer Johnson and immediately crossed over to the join him in the Nurse's quarters.

She settled into a chair, Malfoy taking his place behind her and she weirdly found herself only relaxing when he carried out his usual act of curling his warm palm around the nape of her neck. Her body began responding uncomfortably to his touch and she tried hard to calm her thumping heart so he wouldn't be able to feel it from where his thumb was stroking over her pulse.

She heard Kingsley clear his throat and a hush fell over the room after which he stood and spoke. "Welcome," he began in his deep voice, "I'm sure you are all aware as to why this meeting has been called. After it was decided in our last meeting that the best course of action in order to change public perception of the tenebris seminio was to ask a journalist to join us and write the truth on what was going on behind the Manor's wards, I would like you all to join me in welcoming Parvati Patil of the French Horn, France's top newspaper. They've kindly loaned her to us so she can write the press releases that we will be drafting and sending out to the Daily Prophet after a deal was made with the paper."

Kingsley continued on further, spending a few minutes detailing out Parvati's impressive achievements in the stories she had worked on and investigated in the past, a far cry from the trashy tabloid tales she was sure most of the tenebris ones had been expecting. At the end of Kingsley's short sell, Hermione could tell that the majority of the tenebris ones had grown less wary about Parvati's presence amongst them.

"Though this is just the initial meeting, I would like to open up the floor so you can invite any questions you have directly to Miss Patil, if that is okay with you Miss Patil?"

Parvati nodded her head singularly and the barrage started.

"What do you think about us?" Rose asked from her place.

Hermione startled briefly when she heard the female Veela's voice, the action causing Malfoy's hand to clamp down on her shoulder to keep her settled firmly in her seat. She forcibly breathed out through her nose so her body would calm back down and Malfoy wouldn't catch onto her odd reaction.

_How in Merlin's name had she missed the witch's presence? Surely she should have felt her eyes mentally throwing daggers into her back?_

Hermione shook her head as she realised Parvati was answering Rose's question. "I think that you're members of the Wizarding race who have gone through something that you never should have gone through. Something which no-one who hasn't gone through it, could possibly even begin to imagine."

"So what is it you think you writing your articles are going to do? Get us all to sit down and watch Quidditch games together?" Felix pointed out.

Parvati turned her cool eyes to the werewolf but surprisingly, she didn't rise to his belittling words like she had to James's earlier on.

"Whether you want to sit down and watch Quidditch games together is up to you. I'm here with the sole purpose of making the general public aware of your situation."

Hermione heard James scoff. "I don't hear any mention of trying to track down the bastards who did this to us. The Ministry are doing fuck all to try to find the arseholes. Maybe the extra exposure and pressure will force them to get their lazy butts out of their comfy seats at the Ministry."

Kingsley interjected. "I assure you Mr Rosier that all efforts are being taken to apprehend the wizards and witches involved with setting up these rogue labs."

James scoffed dismissingly. "And what about sentencing the one's you've managed to "apprehend" already. They aren't being sent straight to Azkaban to await trial like we were. They're being held in cushy Ministry safe houses."

Hermione frowned, puzzled at the new information. _She hadn't known that!_ She turned back to look at Kingsley who was casting an eye over the room's occupants who were slowly becoming more ruffled at James's comments.

"As I have already explained to you on numerous occasions, the Ministry feels that Azkaban would be a…inhospitable environment to the latest prisoners."

"Inhospitable? _Inhospitable?!_" James spat out in disgust. "Let me tell you what _inhospitable_ is. It's being taken from your _Ministry guarded _cell and being tortured! It's being stripped and starved and having no function over your body as it's cut into with a knife. It's living in darkness and wishing that you were dead because no-one is going to come to rescue you. That is what you call an _inhospitable_ environment."

There was a ringing silence that followed James's harsh words. Hermione could see Kingsley had no idea what to say and Hermione herself didn't have a clue.

"This is what the public need to know."

Hermione jerked her head up when she heard Malfoy speak.

"They need to know how we were treated…how they forced us to Mate and tortured us when we refused."

Malfoy's words were met with sharp intakes of breaths from certain occupants of the room. Hermione found herself glancing around the area and her heart fell to her stomach when she saw the ashamed look falling over so many of the former prisoners faces.

Out of its own accord, Hermione's arm crept up and circled tightly around the wrist of the hand at her nape. This time it was her who stroked the pulse point she felt beating strongly under her touch.

The silence was broken when Rose stood from her chair, the action causing a sharp screech to echo around the room and all anyone could do was watch as she ran out of the room. Behind her, Hermione somehow sensed Malfoy stiffening and she knew what he was debating. Whether he should stay and "protect" Hermione from the dangers only he saw, or whether he should run out after Rose.

Hermione found herself holding in her breath and only relaxing when she felt Malfoy's stiff fingers coil once more around her neck. The breath slowly released from her lungs.

"You actually want people to know that about you? I am sorry my friend...but those atrocities happened to all of us- not just you. And I for one do not want what I went through to be plastered across the papers." Hanz said.

Parvati spoke up. "I promise you…the articles won't include anything that will link any act to any specific person if they do not wish it. And I promise to handle all matters delicately."

"I agree. The less these people know about us the better." James said.

"You're wrong." Parvati told him. Her blunt words caused James's head to snap in her direction.

"Vati…" Padma said quietly.

Parvati glanced at her older sister as she shook her head. "The reason why the public is acting like it is right now is because they have no information about the tenebris seminio. They're acting out of fear of the unknown. If the end game is to assimilate back into the Wizarding World than you have to make them realise that you pose no threat to them. The only way to do that is by giving them information. And as much as you may hate it- stories of what you've gone through- the horror of what you've faced- will bring them around more quickly."

"Miss Patil is right. This is the reason she was brought here. To change public perception." Kingsley said.

"The contents of Miss Patil's articles will be put to a vote." Blaise stated in a final tone.

Hermione glanced around, wondering whether it was time once more for the medical staff and Aurors to leave the room so the vote could take place.

Apparently not.

"All those in favour of Miss Patil's articles not containing sensitive information regarding our captivity raise your hand."

Hermione let go of her hold on Malfoy's wrist so he could make his decision if he wanted but her hand had barely descended past her shoulder when his fingers clamped around it and brought it back to its previous position.

"All those in favour of Miss Patil's articles containing sensitive information regarding our captivity raise your hand."

Hermione tilted her head up to see Malfoy lift his hand stoically before dropping it down in the next second. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Majority rules. Miss Patil is free to include sensitive information in her articles. Of course, they will still be checked and edited by myself and Rosier."

Parvati nodded at the stipulation. James's red eyes were furious and he looked as if he wanted to smash something with his fists. Thankfully he resisted.

"Maybe it would be wise for Miss Patil to have a few informal talks with various residents of the Manor over the next few days before she writes her first article."

Parvati agreed readily. "It will help me get an idea of the situation and build up an overall picture. I've missed much of the news articles regarding the labs since I was undercover for a while so I'm a little blind. Although hopefully that should work to your advantage as I'll be able to see and write things with a fresh mind."

There were a few general murmurs of agreement.

"Very well, so we are all in agreement as to how things are going to progress in regards to the newspapers. If anyone has any other questions?" Kingsley asked.

"I have one." A vampire said from the dark corner of the room. "We've been discussing what's going to happen to the witches and wizards who were involved in the lab. But what about the Muggles involved?"

Hermione felt an uncomfortable prickle slide up her spine. The man's question was perfectly valid but she didn't want it to start another argument and she mentally admonished herself for forgetting the fact that she was still sitting in a roomful of former Azkaban inmates, many of whom carried the Dark Mark on their arms.

"They will be dealt with accordingly by their own Ministry." Kingsley supplied.

The information didn't sit well. "And what does that mean? We know nothing of the Muggle way of doing things. For all we know, they'll be able to walk free!"

"The Minister of Magic has been in serious talks with the Muggle Prime Minister. He has been made aware of how severe the situation is and he has given his promise that any Muggles will be dealt with gravely."

Kingsley's words were met with scoffs. "You expect us to take the word of a _Muggle-born!_" Felix spat out.

Hermione sat up straighter in her seat, affronted at the hatred she heard in Felix's voice. Several other tenebris ones shouted their agreement at the werewolf's words.

"Enough!" Padma shouted. Heads immediately swivelled in her direction in surprise, Hermione's included. "How can you say Muggle-born like that?!" she demanded to know. "Hasn't it ever occurred to you that if you weren't a Death Eater in the first place and found guilty of war crimes than you wouldn't have ever been in Azkaban? There are people outside of those wards who want to see you dead because you're different from them. And yet you can still stand here and imply that Muggle-born's are somehow beneath you?!"

"Padma…" Zabini spoke softly, his arm reaching out to twine around her arm in order to settle her.

Padma wrenched her arm away from his. "No! I took an oath to Merlin that I would medically help anyone that needed my help." She told him before whirling back around to face the remainder of the room's occupants. "But it _disgusts_ me to know that anyone in today's world, especially any of _you_, still believes that Muggle-born's are worthless! What about Hermione- huh?"

Hermione jerked at suddenly being mentioned and her body tightened and her face flamed red as heads turned her way.

"Is she beneath you when she's caring for you in the Ward? Was she beneath you when she helped save your lives? Is she beneath you when she's risking her life by being here in the first place?!" Padma asked shrilly. "You need to get past your old bigotries and realise that out there- you're now the ones who are considered nothing. How can you expect them to change their mind about you when you're still the same prejudiced people they locked up?!"

There was pin drop silence in the room. After what seemed like an eternity, Kingsley cleared his throat.

"I think this meeting is over." He said as the doors to the room were pulled open.

Padma was the first to walk out of the room. Zabini the second. James was third and Parvati quickly followed him out. Hermione and Malfoy were fifth and sixth. When they exited the room, Padma and Blaise had already disappeared and James and Parvati were at the far end of the hall. Hermione didn't need Malfoy's hypersensitive hearing to hear every word of their conversation. They weren't exactly being discreet.

"You need to keep your mangy hands off my sister, Rosier!" Parvati yelled in James's direction.

James's reply was in his usual arrogant tone. "Jealous, Patil? Should I have put them on you instead?"

Hermione watched a snarl overtake Parvati's face. "Try it… and we'll find out just how attached you are to your dick."

James leaned closer to the witch and Hermione watched their interaction in fascination. "You seem very attached and fascinated by my dick _Patil._"

Parvati snorted loudly. "Yeah- oddly attached to hexing it off, _Rosier_. Like I said, don't touch my sister!"

"Ah- it seems we've come a complete circle in our enjoyable conversation."

"I'm not kidding. Padma is everything you're not. She's sweet and kind and she wants to fall in love and have a dozen babies. You're…ugh!"

"_I'm…ugh?!_"

"Yes-ugh!"

"It's good to know we picked such an _articulate_ reporter."

"I'm not a reporter, Rosier. I'm a journalist. And you didn't pick me- I decided to pick you!"

James's eyes lifted suggestively at Parvati's words.

"Not like that!" she snapped. "Merlin- it's like talking to a child!"

James snorted. "I seem to be amusing one."

Parvati shot him a scorching glare. "Just- stay- away- from- my- sister!"

"Why should I?" James threw back. "She's everything I could possibly want in a Mate. She's attractive, intelligent and most importantly…so sweetly submissive."

Parvati gaped with an open mouth and James leaned even closer. "Isn't this the part where you mention my cock again?" he asked.

"You bastard!" Parvati screeched. "All you want from my sister is sex!"

James lifted an eyebrow. "And? All Zabini wants from her is her blood!"

_Oh dear…_

Hermione quickly walked over to them, hoping to diffuse the situation before all of Padma's secrets were revealed.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Parvati demanded to know.

"I've been up front with your sister, Patil. And she's an adult. Which means anything that occurs between her and me is-none-of-your-business." James said in a tone that made it clear he was very pleased to be pointing this out to her.

"She's my sister. Everything she does is my business!"

"Not anymore. So I suggest you get your interfering nose out of our business and get cracking on writing your article. Merlin knows it'll probably take me an age to edit it once you've finished with it and Kingsley wants the final draft in a few days." And then without waiting to hear Parvati's response, James strode out of the hallway.

Parvati turned to face Hermione. "I swear to Merlin- I'm going to end up _killing him_ if I have to deal with him on a regular basis! How in Merlin's balls did he get the position of co-leader?"

Hermione smiled faintly. "His peers nominated him. Zabini looks out for the interests of the vampires and James looks out for the interests of the werewolves."

Parvati shook her head and Hermione found herself defending James for some absurd reason. _Hadn't she been the one having similar thoughts just a few days ago?_

"He really isn't that bad…" she began to say.

"Not that bad! All he's interested in is looking out for his own revenge. He's blinded by it." Parvati cut in.

And Hermione could say nothing as she watched the witch walk away in silence.

"Is my Hermione ready to return to our room?" she heard Malfoy ask from behind her.

She sighed as she nodded her head. She turned around to face him, craning her head up to ensure she was looking directly in his eyes when she spoke her next words.

"We need to talk." She told him firmly.

And then she walked over to the stairs, Malfoy following just one step behind her.

ooo

When they entered their room, Hermione was instantly discomfited when she caught sight of the mussed bed linen. Quickly hurrying to straighten it out, she then shuffled nervously for a few seconds as she turned back to face Malfoy. When she managed to actually lift her eyes to meet his, she gathered her courage and lifted her chin stubbornly.

"It's perfectly clear that things between us aren't working out as either of us hoped," she started before pausing briefly when she caught sight of Malfoy's clenched jaw. She resolutely continued. "But since we have no choice but to remain so close, I think it would be best if we aired our…grievances and laid out what we expect from one another."

_There- that didn't sound too bad did it?_

"Veela wants his Hermione to accept Veela as her Mate. Veela wants-"

Hermione interrupted him. "I think you'll find I said the word expect. Not _want._ Believe me- there are a lot of things that we both want that we aren't going to be getting anytime soon."

Malfoy growled in annoyance. "Veela _expects_ my Hermione to accept Veela has her Mate."

Hermione actually had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from speaking out in anger. After taking a deep breath that did very little to calm her down, she spoke. "And _I_ expect you to keep the promise you made me a few hours ago to give me some space about the whole bonding ceremony."

Another annoyed growl-like sound. When nothing eloquent followed it, Hermione took that to mean his acceptance of her statement.

"Veela expects his Mate to stay by his side throughout the day…and throughout the night."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So twenty-four hours a day then?" she asked sarcastically.

Malfoy actually had the gall to nod in confirmation.

Hermione couldn't help her teeth grinding together as she thought up a compromise. "I'll agree to spend the night by your side," she said, knowing very well that they would probably need to remain close and continue to share a bed so he could continue sniffing at her, "but you can't expect me to remain by your side throughout the day. Surely you want some alone time?"

"No." he stated shortly.

"…Well, I'm sorry but I do."

Malfoy didn't look impressed. "30 minutes."

Hermione scoffed as she countered. "Three hours." She said, knowing there was no way he would give her that much time away from him, especially now that she couldn't work in the Ward.

"One hour."

"Two hours." She opposed.

"One hour."

"I compromised by agreeing to share a bed with you."

"And Veela compromised by agreeing his Mate 30 minutes away from him."

"I wanted three hours."

"And Veela is allowing one hour."

"You're compromising by 30 minutes. I'm compromising by an hour."

"One hour only."

"Two hours!"

A dangerous calculating look entered Malfoy's eyes. "Two hours and Hermione allows Veela to pet her whenever he wishes."

Hermione actually choked and spluttered on her own saliva. She unconsciously took two steps away from him. "Excuse me? You want to _pet_ me?! I'm not a cat Malfoy!"

"My Hermione was enjoying my petting earlier." He pointed out matter-of-factly.

_Dear Merlin! _

Her face burned red. "And I've learnt that your so called petting leads to you using your bonding scent to mess with my head."

"…Veela cannot help his Mate smelling his bonding scent. He will promise that he will not initiate the bonding ceremony."

Hermione stared at him. "You want me to trust you?" she asked incredulously.

Malfoy's furious face regarded her back. "My Hermione does not trust me?!"

Hermione snapped. "Excuse me Malfoy. But it was only a few hours ago you were promising me you wouldn't bring up the bonding ceremony for a few days and yet hours later you were yelling "Hermione is Veela's!" like a caveman."

Malfoy frowned at the word caveman but she didn't make a move to enlighten him.

"My Hermione can trust Veela. He will not initiate the bonding ceremony."

"This whole discussion is moot. What makes you think I'll agree to you petting me for Merlin's sake?!"

But even as the word's fell from her lips, all Hermione could focus on was potentially spending two Malfoy free hours a day. Hours were she would be able to go where she wanted and talk to whomever she wanted without worrying about Malfoy freaking out and interrupting her.

_Say yes…_

_No- how could she?_

"Two and a half hours. If my Mate accepts my touch."

Merlin-Hermione couldn't believe she was bargaining with Malfoy about him touching her!

She dared to hope. "Three hours…and you can pe-_touch _me…over my clothes." She quickly added.

"Under clothes."

"Over my clothes or no deal."

"Veela wants to touch his Mate's skin." Malfoy told her.

Hermione breathed out loudly in frustration. "Fine," she told him, "But here…and here…are no go areas." She pointed out, using both her hands to indicate the two areas where she didn't want him touching her.

From the look on Malfoy's face, they were the two areas he wanted to finger the most but Hermione refused to give in.

Malfoy spent the next few moments silently debating on whether to accept her compromise. Eventually he spoke, "Veela agrees."

Hermione forced the smile to stay off her face as she nodded. "Fine. What else?"

"My Hermione will stay away from all other Males."

Hermione looked at him, wondering if she had actually heard the words he'd just said. "The whole point of this exercise is to voice _realistic_ expectations, Malfoy. Staying away from all Males is _not _realistic."

"This is what Veela wants!"

"There's that word want again!"

"This is what Veela expects!"

"Well Veela cannot have it!" Hermione snapped.

_Damnit- couldn't they just ever agree on one single thing! _

"Look Malfoy. Whether you like it or not I'm going to come across men in my life. My job requires me to treat and care and talk to them. My two best friends are wizards."

"My Mate will not touch these men."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If I touched my patient's in the way you're implying I would be struck off the Healer's medical register before I could take in my next breath. And as for Harry and Ron- they're like my brothers. Which means when I see them, I hug them and kiss them….on the cheek!" she quickly pointed out when Malfoy's look turned murderous.

"Hermione will never touch them sexually. And she will always let Veela know when she is going to meet them."

Hermione wanted to argue but to be fair, this wasn't the most outrageous of his demands…and so she nodded her head in agreement. "I expect you to always tell me the truth about your health."

Malfoy nodded easily.

"And not use it to get your way."

Another curt nod followed by a long moment of silence.

"Well, I can't think of anything else for now. But if either of us think up something later on then we can discuss it." Hermione told him.

Malfoy nodded before he began stalking over to her predatorily.

Hermione automatically backed away from him. "What are you doing?"

"Veela has been away from his Mate's essence for too long."

"…Oh, okay." Hermione said as she looked at the bed she had just made up.

Looked like it was time to get under the covers again…

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter- I think it's my longest to date so hopefully it makes up for the shortness of the last one! Today has been an absolutely crazy day- my family just set off on a month's long holiday which me and my brother are missing out on because of work and school so I'm quite depressed. But if everything goes to plan, we'll be going on an amazing holiday this summer which I can't wait for so I'm not too unhappy I'm missing out on this one! Back to the fic- there is a sneak peak available as always. Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione couldn't sleep. The fact could be attributed to a number of things… but they all eventually boiled down to Malfoy's presence behind her.

Firstly there was the fact that she was being cocooned by what seemed to be a fiercely burning inferno. She had always needed a heavy duvet covering her body whenever she went to bed- even in the middle of summer. But being wrapped against Malfoy, not an inch to spare between their tightly pressed bodies and with the heat from his chest sinking into the bare skin of her back- well it had her body temperature rising to uncomfortable levels.

Second was the fact that she was a fidgeter. She had a nightly process of tossing and turning all over her bed until she found that exact position that would enable her to drift off. But there was no performing that ritual tonight.

Hermione knew she was short witch- constantly getting a crick in her neck every time she had to look up to Harry and Ron or even Ginny for that matter attested to that fact. But she had never felt shorter than at present, having her five foot five frame being completely enveloped and surrounded by Malfoy's much larger figure, ensuring that all movement was out of the question lest she kicked or elbowed his body.

And last but not least was the fact that Hermione knew Malfoy was wide awake and would probably remain so for many hours to come.

She had tied her hair up before going to bed so that the wild locks wouldn't accidentally suffocate Malfoy, but she hadn't anticipated the fact that it left the nape of her neck free to his ministrations. And there were _a lot_ of ministrations. Every few seconds, Hermione felt Malfoy's steady puffs of breath stirring the fine hairs on her skin. And then there was the slight nuzzling every once in a while as he took advantage of the open space by digging his nose deep into her hair and inhaling before letting out soft growls of content.

It was very difficult to drift off to sleep when she could hear his indulgent purrs against her ear!

When another soft growl rumbled through his chest, the movement vibrating against her back, Hermione breathed out audibly and she tried to shift her body without touching his. She didn't get very far and couldn't help but emit her sigh of frustration as her muscles began yearning to be stretched.

One of Malfoy's claws came to stroke over the curve of her ear and Hermione tried not to twitch at the tickling feeling.

"My Hermione is finding it difficult to sleep." Malfoy commented quietly.

Hermione lifted her shoulder to brush away his claw when the tickling sensation became too much to bear. "I'm not using to sharing a bed," she told him.

His lips pressed firmly against her shoulder before they skimmed up her neck. "Veela is pleased."

Hermione rolled her eyes in the darkness. "I didn't mean it like that."

"And what did my Mate mean?"

"That I like my space when I sleep. And in the past, people have understood that."

She had barely replenished the air in her lungs when Malfoy had her pulled onto her back. She gasped in the remainder of her oxygen in one surprised gulp as her arms immediately came to push at Malfoy's shoulders to halt any more harsh movements. Her actions proved useless against his inhumane strength and he moved to straddle her waist easily.

She could only watch with wide eyes as his body loomed over hers before his face descended down so quickly her eyes closed in preparation of his forehead crashing into hers. When she didn't feel any impact, she slowly opened her eyes and all she could see was Malfoy's face hovering over hers. She swallowed heavily as his nose brushed against hers.

His voice came out in angry rasp. "Mate will tell Veela who she has let share her bed."

_Oh dear…Hermione you bloody idiot!_

She swallowed again, forcing the knot of nerves in her throat back down to her stomach so she could speak but the adrenaline continued to bubble in her throat. "Calm down." She managed to choke out, her voice not coming out as firm as she would have liked.

His nose brushed against hers once more. "Mate will tell Veela!" he rumbled against her lips.

"Fine." Hermione told him, slowly gathering her courage. "But not like this. I _expect _to have a civilised conversation with you. Now get off me."

Malfoy merely stared into her eyes for a few long moments before he eventually retreated. And by retreated she meant he simply sat back up again. His thighs still remained clamped on either side of her waist.

Hermione watched his jaw clench as he ground his teeth together. She drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with oxygen now that she didn't have him hovering in her personal space.

"Get off me." She repeated when he made no movement to remove his body from hers. He made no movement to do so even after she'd spoken again and she felt herself growing angry, "I mean it Malfoy. You can't keep manhandling me whenever you get annoyed! Get off me or I'm not telling you anything." She threatened.

He resisted for a few long moments, making it clear he didn't appreciate her ultimatum but he did eventually rise up off her. Hermione immediately sat up, her hand reaching out until she felt the safety of her wand which she used to light the fireplace so she could see Malfoy more clearly. He was now standing to the side of the bed, his intent eyes staring at her as he waited impatiently for her explanation.

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Hermione pulled at the duvet, the only thing in the vicinity that she could grab hold of. She dragged the material towards her, lifting it until it was tucked under her armpits and it was only then that she looked back at him.

"We've only known each other for a few days Malfoy. You can't expect me not to have had a life…a past before meeting you."

The furious look did abate from his face. "How many?" he asked.

Hermione didn't pretend that she didn't have any idea of what he was asking but she was still hesitant to answer. The silence between them stretched uncomfortably and when Malfoy crossed his arms across his chest, Hermione bit the bullet and answered his question.

"Two." She croaked out before biting her lip, not knowing how Malfoy would react.

She saw his jaw visibly clench, his eyes narrowing and his hands clench into fists as the muscles in his arms bulged with tension.

Hermione quickly wet her parched mouth so she could speak further. She had to quench her initial words which would have been ones of defence. "Say something." She told him when he refused to speak.

"…What would Mate like me to say?"

Hermione sighed in frustration. "I don't know. Anything! Yes, I've had se-_been_ with two people but it's not as if you're some untouched virgin!"

"Veela already told his Hermione that he refused to Mate with the female Veela!"

Hermione swallowed and her fingers came to rub at the ache forming in her forehead. "That isn't what I meant. I mean when you were a human…"

"Veela wants their names."

Hermione frowned. "What?"

Malfoy walked closer to her, his back bending until he was looking directly down on her. When he spoke again, his voice was soft but each word was enunciated clearly.

"Veela-wants-their-names."

Hermione knew why and she immediately scoffed. "Don't be silly, Malfoy. You can't do anything to them! You'll be back in Azkaban before you've even left the Manor's wards."

"Mate will tell Veela their names!" he yelled.

Hermione instinctively backed away for a millisecond before she gritted her own teeth and got back in his face. "I said no! Now calm down!"

The sound of Malfoy's harsh pants resonated between them. And then within a blink of an eye, Hermione found herself airborne and in his arms. She let out a startled squeak, her hands moving to clamp around his neck as he strode into the bathroom.

He manoeuvred her body so he could clutch her against his chest with one arm, the other shoving aside the shower curtain and twisting the knob until a steady stream of water fell into the tub. His arm stayed in the spray and it was only when Hermione was being pushed under the water that she realised he had been waiting until the temperature had heated up.

She immediately shrieked and spluttered as the water fell heavily on top of her head before running down her face and eventually her arms and legs. Aghast, she looked down to see the top and shorts she had been wearing were now plastered against her body. Hermione was grateful she had chosen to keep her bra on otherwise Malfoy would be able to see everything!

"What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, as her arms reached out to turn the water off.

Malfoy grasped her hand before she could do so and didn't let go when she began pulling at his firm hold.

"Stop it! Turn the water off!" she told him.

He refused to listen and Hermione continued to push at his chest with her spare arm. She stopped when he went one step crazier and stepped into the shower with her.

_Dear Merlin, what was he doing?! _

In the confined space, she rushed to move away from him but her feet slipped. Malfoy's arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her potential fall but also putting a halt to any potential movement she could use to escape him.

For the next few moments, Hermione could only concentrate on blinking away the water from her eyes. Through the droplets, she saw Malfoy reach out for her shower gel, squeeze a liberal amount onto his palm, the action causing her to squash against his chest since he still had an arm hooked around her waist and then she let out a startled sound as he brought the shower gel to her neck.

She wriggled in his arms, her body twisting to escape the cold gel he was rubbing over her skin.

"Malfoy! What are you doing?! Merlin let me go!"

"Must clean Mate." He muttered absently, leaving Hermione to stare numbly at the look of intense concentration over his face.

Malfoy's hands left her for a short moment before she felt him yank up her sodden top and another dollop of cold gel hit her stomach.

She quickly clenched away from his touch. "Malfoy! Stop it!" she said as she pushed his hand away.

It had no effect and she resorted to punching at his shoulders. He barely reacted to the hard blows and Hermione stopped when she quickly came to realise she was doing more harm to her knuckles than to his body.

Her palms moved up until they slapped loudly on either side of his face. And then she yanked with all her might until Malfoy's stare moved from her soapy stomach to her eyes.

"Stop," she told him firmly. "I'm _clean_."

His arms faltered for a moment before an anguished look crossed over his face. "Mate touched those other Males because Veela was not with her! Veela should have tried harder to escape."

Hermione swallowed the sudden tears she felt building in her throat. "Stop. I-It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have escaped."

"If Veela had tried-"

"You couldn't have tried harder than I'm sure you did. Malfoy those two…wizards, they were a long time ago…and I've not seen them in ages."

"Is my Mate in love with them? Is that why she rejects Veela?"

"No!" Hermione told him strongly, her fingers digging into his hair to emphasise her point, "I loved them at the time…but not anymore. I haven't been in contact with them in years."

Malfoy's head dropped back down and Hermione's hands moved from his face. She said nothing as he face planted against her belly, moving his head from one side to the other as if he was trying to burrow into her.

Hermione fingers moved to run across his scalp in a comforting manner, an action which she thought would never have been possible coming from her, but it felt oddly natural.

"Malfoy…they don't mean anything to me anymore. They're in the past," she said before continuing in a lighter tone, hoping to bring his mood back up. "And didn't I make a promise that I wouldn't touch any other wizard…intimately."

That caused Malfoy to tilt his head up to look at her. He nodded slowly.

"Well then…so can we get out of the shower now?" she asked.

He hesitated and Hermione frowned, slowly coming to realise the reason behind his stalling. Her fingers left his hair and she crossed her arms tightly across her chest, not moving her eyes from his as he stood back up.

"You still want to _clean_ me don't you?!" she asked incredulously.

Malfoy simply nodded in confirmation.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Malfoy! I'm not dirty!" she exclaimed.

"Veela knows this…"

Hermione scoffed. "Then?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

Malfoy took his time replying, instead choosing to lift his fingers to her face so he could swipe away the wet strands of hair from her eyes. And then he said the one word that had her resolve melting into a puddle at her feet.

"…Please."

It was only the second time he's said the word but Hermione couldn't find herself being able to refuse him. And so stupidly, she nodded her head in agreement.

Malfoy quickly reached out, squeezing a large amount of soap onto his hand only this time, he spent a few seconds rubbing the gel between his palms, building up a froth as well as heating the thick liquid so when he did finally touch her skin with it, she felt soft bubbles instead of a cold shock.

He worked methodically, starting at her neck before moving down to the curve of her shoulders, down her arms, rubbing each individual finger and the sensitive skin in between before moving to her stomach which again caused Hermione to take in a sharp intake of breath. Thankfully Malfoy didn't break his promise either, although he did get dangerously close to the under curve of her breasts on one occasion.

His nimble fingers moved around to her back, soaping up her skin but also softly massaging muscles which Hermione wasn't aware had been stiff and by the time he'd crouched down to her legs, Hermione was beginning to feel the previous elusive sleep, creep up on her. The steam in the shower also made everything seem very dream like.

It was only when Malfoy's hands began massaging her calves that Hermione surfaced back to reality. Her leg automatically kicked out of his hold and she looked down on him as he looked up at her, his head cocked to the side in confusion.

"Sorry," Hermione told him as she bit her lip, "I know it sounds odd but my calves are ticklish."

Malfoy nodded once and instead of resuming his previous massage, he reached out to lift her foot up. Hermione's arms splayed out to the side so she didn't fall as Malfoy placed her heel firmly against his thigh before he began washing each individual toe.

When he'd finished with both feet he stood, eyeing her soaked top and shorts.

"I'll finish up by myself," Hermione said quietly. "If you could leave some clothes inside the door and then close it?"

He nodded, quickly cleaning the soap off his own hands before pushing aside the shower curtain and stepping out of the tub. Hermione waited behind the safety of the shower curtain as she heard Malfoy walk out of the room. She waited until she heard a shuffling sound followed by the door to the bathroom being closed before she risked peeking her head out of the curtain.

Seeing she was alone, she quickly removed her clothes and washed away any stray soap streaks before turning the water off. Towelling down, she reached for the clothes Malfoy had brought her before she realised all he had given her was another thin tank top and a pair of fluorescent pink shorts. No bra…and more importantly no knickers.

Hermione didn't know if she should be thankful he hadn't rooted through her underwear drawer or feel apprehensive that she needed to walk out of the bathroom, either in the towel or after donning her clothes in order to get some underwear, all the while with Malfoy knowing she was naked under either.

In the end she chose her clothes, hating the fact that her nipples were clearly outlined and jutting against the thin material. She had no choice- and so with the towel wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl, thus hiding all errant body parts from Malfoy's view, Hermione slowly opened the door and quickly walked over to the chest of drawers.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy looking at her and she caught a glimpse of his amused smile at her actions but she ignored him as she quickly grabbed hold of the first bra and panties she saw before running back into the bathroom to put them on.

She was only slightly red faced when she walked out of the bathroom for the second time. She walked over to her side of the bed, casting a quick spell on her hair so it dried before she re-braided the mass.

Another wave of her wand had the flames in the fireplace extinguishing and then she slipped under the covers. She wasn't surprised when she felt Malfoy's hand clamping around her wrist, no doubt to pull her towards him so he could wrap himself around her again…but she was surprised when instead, he dragged her over until she was half reclining over his chest.

The arms around her waist were still present but they weren't as tight as they had been half an hour ago. Hermione hesitantly shifted around, performing her usual stretching out of her arms and legs before sighing in satisfaction when she found the position she knew would send her off to sleep.

And a few minutes later, with the help of Malfoy's claws gently running across her scalp, she drifted into her world of dreams.

ooo

The next day at noon saw both Hermione and Malfoy at the Ward.

They had woken up late; something which surprised Hermione seeing how she always had an internal alarm that went off in her head before her actual alarm did. The two of them had eaten a quick breakfast in the kitchen before returning to their room, spending a few hours in lazy abandon, Hermione choosing to read the book she'd borrowed from Padma about vampires and werewolves whilst Malfoy chose to play with the fingers of the hand she wasn't using.

But all that was forgotten now that she was sitting with Healer Johnson and Healer Bentley as she came to realise the two Healers still didn't know what was going on with Malfoy's memory.

Hermione knew it was wrong to suggest it but she couldn't help herself. "What if we used a pensieve? That might help trigger his memory?"

Both Healers immediately shook their heads as Healer Johnson explained what Hermione already knew to be true.

"Using a pensieve would be too dangerous for Mr Malfoy. I believe his memory loss was his mind's way of protecting himself from the trauma of the lab. In these situations, pressing too hard or too fast can have devastating consequences."

"I agree," Healer Bentley said. "Building up a familiar routine, seeing faces of the people he was once close to in the past is the best way to go. Many cases of retrograde amnesia resolve themselves."

Hermione interjected. "But he's been seeing his previous housemates and there's been no response. And we don't know what his usual routine is. Maybe if we went to visit his parents in Azkaban- seeing their faces could…"

She trailed off when she saw Healer Johnson shaking his head. "The Aurors have deemed it too dangerous for former prisoners to return to Azkaban- even for short visits. They don't want to run the risk of a situation arising when they have yet to apprehend everyone involved."

"Okay but what about Malfoy Manor?" Hermione suggested instead. "It's been seized by the Ministry hasn't it? Couldn't the Auror's set up temporary wards? We have to do something…"

Both older Healers exchanged glances before eventually nodding their heads. "I will have a word with the Aurors and see if we can set up a visit for later this afternoon." Healer Johnson replied.

Hermione sighed in relief as hope filled her chest. She turned to Malfoy who had sat through the entire conversation with a carefully schooled look over his face. She wanted to ask him what he thought but realised that if he'd been so silent throughout their conversation, he was unlikely to open up in front of the other two Healers.

And so they walked back to their room in silence. But once the bedroom door closed, Hermione turned to face him.

"You don't seem very excited about visiting your home." she stated.

Malfoy's reply was succinct. "Veela's home is here- with his Mate. He has no recollection of this other Manor."

Hermione looked over his shuttered face. "Do-…do you actually _want_ to get your memories back?" she asked him with a frown.

Malfoy returned her stare stoically.

"Malfoy?" she prompted.

"Why does Mate wish Veela to remember this Malfoy?" he questioned.

Hermione frowned at the odd question. "Because I want you to remember who you were."

_…and then tell me if you still feel the same way about me so we both know for sure what's happening between us… _

"Veela knows who he is."

Hermione sighed. "You remember some of who you are- not all. You had a whole other life that was completely separate from the one in the lab. Don't you want to remember that?"

"Whatever life this Malfoy had…it led him to be gaoled for ten years. Why would Veela wish to remember that?"

He made a fair point and Hermione didn't know what to say.

"My Hermione has told Veela that the Malfoy boy was not kind to her. Why is she trying so hard for him to come back?" he questioned.

Hermione swallowed as she looked him in the eye, "Because it's the right thing to do."

Malfoy merely stared at her. And then the room descended into silence once more.

It was only broken a long while later when Malfoy muttered something which sounded like, "Veela will protect his Mate."

Hermione wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly and so she didn't question him further.

She would later learn that she should have done.

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it! I finally roughly figured out in my head where I'm going with Malfoy's memory loss and the bonding ceremony etc (hopefully I stick with this plan and it doesn't change!). There have been a few major hints about the former in this chapter along with previous ones so I would love to know your theories. I've loved hearing some of them in your previous reviews- not only have they made for interesting reading but some have made me laugh out loud! As always, thank you very much for reading and until next time, Curiositykils._


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Hermione had been so excited about apparating to Malfoy Manor, of Malfoy potentially getting his memories back, that she had completely forgotten about how downright creepy the old building was.

The moonlight was shining into the room she and Malfoy had apparated into…but the natural light did nothing to stop the shivers racing up Hermione's spine as she spotted the numerous shadows dancing in every corner. Cowardly as it may have seemed, this drawing room still haunted her from time to time and she would have apparated right back out had she not had Malfoy's warm palm curled around the nape of her neck.

His warmth infusing into her gave her the steel she needed to put her chin up and look around without any emotion. A few seconds of still silence later, she heard a few more pops of apparation as the others joined them.

Hermione didn't turn to look at them but she still heard their sharp intakes of breath as they took in the thick layer of dust and the many cobwebs that had been weaved across the room in the ten years the Manor had been empty.

"Such a waste…" she heard Healer Bentley comment quietly to himself. Hermione said nothing but internally she couldn't help but agreeing with the wizard's statement.

A few more pops indicated that they had now been joined by the Aurors ordered to accompany them on the trip. The room grew steadily brighter as more wands lit up the area. Hermione glanced around, a finger automatically reaching out in order to drag through the fluffy dust on the windowsill nearest to her. When she'd collected a pile of dust at the tip of her finger, she lifted it close to her face, studying the dirt for a brief moment before she blew strongly and watched the particles swirl into the air.

Realising she was wasting time, she quickly wiped the soiled finger against her jeans before she turned around to face Malfoy. He too was studying the room but with a bland expression on his face and when Hermione shifted, he tilted his head back down to look at her.

She breathed in, "Anything look familiar?" she asked, hope making its way into her voice.

It was dashed when Malfoy firmly shook his head once in the negative.

"Any ideas on where we should start?" Healer Johnson called out.

Hermione and Malfoy both turned his way before they walked over to him and Healer Bentley.

Hermione answered his question, "Malfoy doesn't recognise anything. I think it would be best if we split up. Maybe try to find his bedroom…possibly a game room?"

The two other Healers nodded in agreement and Hermione stupidly turned to Malfoy as if indicating he should lead the way to the rooms. Of course, he didn't. What he did do however was move the hand that was wrapped around her neck, slowly down her back and then down her arm after which he gripped her fingers tightly.

Inappropriate as it may have looked, Hermione clutched his hand securely and made no move to release his hold. The two of them led their small group out of the drawing room and as the others fanned out to explore the floor they were currently on, she and Malfoy climbed the staircase up to the second floor.

They encountered their first closed door quickly and Malfoy was the one to reach out and twist the doorknob to open it, Hermione holding her wand high in the air in order to shine as much light as possible into the room.

The light bounced off many glass cupboard doors and curious as to what the room held, Hermione stepped in. A few Scourgify charms later and she was able to make out the numerous antiques in the cupboards.

She had inched open the first cupboard door when Malfoy's arm shot out from behind her in order to slam the door shut. Jerking in surprise, Hermione twisted her head around in confusion only to find Malfoy looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

"My Hermione told me that this Malfoy and his family were in Azkaban. She will touch nothing."

Hermione's first instinct was to roll her eyes at his protective tone but then she realised how much truth there was in his statement. She quickly nodded her head and Malfoy's arm dropped back down.

Realising there was nothing in this room that would help Malfoy, Hermione led them both back out into the hallway. The second door they tried turned out to be a dark toilet and they quickly moved onto the third.

They struck the cauldron when Malfoy opened the door and the light from Hermione's wand fell on a giant four poster bed. Stepping into the room, Hermione silently sent out a few Scourgify charms, directing one to the fireplace. Transfiguring some pebbles into logs, she lit the fireplace and extinguished her wand.

Looking around the room, she saw no personal objects on the vanity table or the bedside tables. She indicated for Malfoy to open the chest of drawers and after he did so, she peered inside. There was a towel and a few toiletries, clearly indicating the room was only a guest bedroom.

"A guest bedroom," she told Malfoy, "I don't think we'll find anything helpful in here."

And so they left the room and continued onwards.

By the time the entire second floor had been searched, Hermione was fast beginning to lose any hope. The two climbed the stairs to the third floor in despondent silence and when they'd opened the first few doors and found nothing, Hermione was wishing they'd come to the Manor the next morning when everything looked a lot less eerie.

They passed a few more doors before they eventually stumbled into the room they'd been looking for. Hermione had her breath tightly held in her chest as she lit the room's fireplace and caught sight of the green and silver wallpaper covering the walls.

"Your bedroom…" she whispered to Malfoy.

_Dear Merlin, she couldn't believe she was in Draco Malfoy's childhood bedroom. _

With an excited look, she turned to face Malfoy and saw him looking over the room with an indiscernible look across his face.

"Remember anything?" she asked as she made her way over to the desk. She found a sheaf of yellowing shrivelled parchment but the insignia at the top of the page was still clear. Her fingers traced over the symbol and she lifted the parchment to show Malfoy.

He looked at the crest with blank eyes and Hermione quickly explained. "It's the Malfoy family crest."

He continued to look at the coat of arms disinterestedly and Hermione sighed. She retreated, eagerly moving to search for something else that Malfoy might remember. From behind her, she heard him opening and closing drawers, rummaging around their contents.

"There are some old Hogwarts books here, we can take them back with us so you can look at them later," she said before she let out a small sound of excitement, "there's some letters here!"

She walked back to Malfoy and held out the bundle to him. He took the numerous envelopes, unwinding the length of green ribbon holding them together before opening the first letter.

"It is from his Mother," he told her as he extended the letter out for her to take.

Hermione took it hesitatingly; unsure if she should be reading Malfoy's mail but she couldn't help herself from scanning the letter. It was with a pang that she read the contents and then lifted her gaze to the date at the top right corner…a few months before the night of Dumbledore's death.

The letter was from Narcissa Malfoy and the tone of the message clearly indicated how worried she was about Draco's mission and the possibility of him failing Voldemort's orders.

With a heavy stomach, Hermione quickly folded the letter back up again. She turned away from the remainder of the mail, not being able to bring herself to look at the rest, her excitement about finding them rapidly fading.

If Malfoy picked up on her feelings, he didn't make it known and Hermione quickly moved back over to the other side of the room to resume her digging. After a few moments of silence she spoke, making sure to keep her back to Malfoy.

"Have you found anything useful?" she asked in a purposefully light tone.

"I remember nothing." Malfoy replied and Hermione's hope was dashed further.

The desk turned up nothing else that may have been useful and she made her way over to closet. A strong musty smell hit her as soon as she opened the door and Hermione wrinkled her nose and breathed in through her mouth as she moved further into the room.

Malfoy's robes still hung neatly and his shoes were all neatly put away in their allotted slots. One by one, Hermione searched through the robes before she came across Malfoy's old Hogwarts uniform. She slid the silk tie through her fingers, twisting the material from side to side so she the silver bands glinted in the dim light. His jumper hung under the black robes and Hermione lifted the entire uniform as she walked back into the bedroom.

She was surprised to see Malfoy sitting calmly on the bed but she ignored her thoughts as she walked over to him. She presented her findings and he took them from her hands, looking down at the clothes curiously.

At the expression on his face, she grew excited. Finally…something other than his usual shuttered guise. _Could this be it? Could this be what triggered a memory? _

She watched with a biting lip as Malfoy traced the Slytherin house emblem on the grey jumper. And then he lifted his head and looked at her, saying nothing. Hermione looked back at him…

"Anything?" she asked.

Malfoy looked back down before he shook his head once and threw the clothes off his lap. Hermione watched them land on the bed and she couldn't help her sigh of disappointment from escaping. She looked around the room frustratingly.

"There has to be something…pictures…_a journal!_" she said as she walked over to where Malfoy had already dug around.

Her search came up with nothing and she frowned. A journal may have been a long shot but surely there would be a picture _somewhere_ in the room? Everyone had at least one picture in their bedroom didn't they!

"Accio photo." She said, her spare arm outstretched and ready to catch anything.

Nothing flew her way and Hermione dropped her hand dejectedly. She slumped down next to Malfoy, her head dropping forward and she sighed as she felt Malfoy's palm dig back under her hair to wrap around her nape once again.

His fingers began lightly digging into the tense muscles he encountered and Hermione shut her eyes. Nothing. They'd found absolutely nothing. And from the sparse pile of toys in one of the cupboards, she couldn't imagine there would be a game room anywhere on the property.

"Does my Hermione wish to go on?" Malfoy asked her.

Hermione let out a bark of mirthless laughter as she lifted her head back up to look at him. "You make it sound as if we're doing this for me."

Malfoy looked at her intensely. "Veela has already told Mate that he has no wish to remember this Malfoy. He is only here because his Hermione is here."

Hermione frowned but said nothing. They sat in silence for five more minutes, Hermione silently contemplating his words and whether or not she was in the wrong for pushing him to remember his memories so ardently.

Eventually all she got was a headache from her thoughts. She stood and Malfoy quickly followed. She couldn't quite look him in the eye when she told him that they should see what else was on the floor.

They left his old bedroom in silence, Malfoy closing the door with a definite click, before they moved along the corridor.

Precisely forty seven minutes later, their little group disapparated out of Malfoy Manor… having failed in their mission to find anything useful to help Malfoy regain his memories.

ooo

When they entered their bedroom, the antsy feeling Hermione had been feeling since they'd left Malfoy's old bedroom, increased ten-fold. It was only nine thirty, and though she knew Malfoy probably expected the two of them to spend the remainder of the evening until she wanted to go to bed secluded in their room, Hermione felt the need for some alone time.

And so with Malfoy's compromise in her mind, she turned to him. "I think I'm going to go for a walk," she told him.

Malfoy looked at her before he made his way back over to the door.

"Alone!" Hermione quickly added.

Malfoy lurched to a stop and he turned back around to face her, his eyes narrowed in her direction with his arms crossed against his broad chest. He was standing right in front of the door and he looked like a guard stationed at the post to stop her from leaving.

"It is late." He stated.

"Not really," Hermione replied, "It's only nine thirty." She pointed out.

"It is dark outside and the tenebris ones will all be awake." He countered back.

"I don't think they'll attack me if I go on a walk on the grounds, Malfoy. They know who I am and that I'm not a threat to them."

"Veela does not like this." He told her.

Hermione just looked at him. "You told me I could have three hours of alone time. I allowed you to…hold me…last night. I want to go and see Padma."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed further. "If my Hermione wishes to speak to the Vampire and The Were's witch, Veela will go and fetch her. There is no need for Mate to leave the Manor."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She has a name, Malfoy. And she doesn't belong to Zabini or James. And you can't just _fetch_ someone."

Malfoy frowned. "Why not," he stated stubbornly. "Veela's Mate wishes to see her; Veela will bring the witch to her."

Hermione merely rolled her eyes again. "_I_ want to go and see _her_. I don't want her to come up here to see me."

The look on Malfoy's face made it evident he didn't realise the difference and Hermione felt herself growing annoyed.

"I was letting you know where I was going Malfoy…_not_ asking permission."

"Mate is not safe alone."

Hermione lifted her wand and waved it patronisingly in front of his face. "I can protect myself Malfoy, like I've told you before. It's only you that can potentially deflect my spells."

"And how will Mate be able to use her Wand when a tenebris one is using their speed to evade her?"

Hermione hated the fact that she hadn't thought of that. But she quickly had her answer. "A defensive spell is just as protective as an offensive spell."

She watched Malfoy clench his jaw. "If my Hermione wishes to visit with the witch, then Veela will walk her to the cottage and remain outside like yesterday."

Hermione smiled and huffed at the same time. "I think that defeats the purpose of having some alone time, Malfoy."

"Veela does not like this."

She sighed audibly, "Yes, you mentioned that already. And like I said, I held up my end of the bargain by letting you _pet _me last night."

Malfoy breathed in loudly through his nose. "…Very well. Mate may visit with her friend. But Veela has two conditions."

Hermione's steely silence indicated for him to continue…carefully.

"My Hermione will allow Veela to walk her to her friend's cottage. Veela gives his word he will return to the Manor after doing so."

"And…"

"And Hermione will allow Veela to _pet_ her before she leaves."

Hermione watched Malfoy's smile as he said the word pet, evidently using it to rile her, but her concern overrode her annoyance. "Are you feeling unwell again?" she asked, panic rising in her throat.

_Had her time run out? _

"No." Malfoy stated.

Hermione frowned, "Then?"

"Veela wants a kiss."

Hermione couldn't speak as her throat closed up. "…A kiss?" she managed to choke out in a whisper.

Malfoy nodded, his eyes turning inky with heat. When she made no movement to speak or walk closer to him, he cocked his head to the side and spoke further, "My Mate's lips were not in her "no go" zone." He pointed out.

Hermione realised he spoke the truth and she cursed herself. Her tongue came out habitually and swiped over her lower lip. It only dawned on her what she was doing when she saw Malfoy's gaze drop down to her lips and she quickly popped her tongue back into her mouth.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. She could do this. It was one kiss. And then her thoughts went rampant and she began wondering what Malfoy's lips would feel like against hers. She quickly quelled those disturbing thoughts.

"Okay." She said as she raised her chin in the air.

She waited and kept her gaze fixed with Malfoy's but he made no move to come closer to her. After a few awkward uncomfortable seconds, Hermione gritted her teeth.

"I thought you wanted a kiss?"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow imperviously. "Veela does want a kiss. But Veela wishes Mate to give him a kiss."

Hermione's entire body jerked at his words. "What?" she blurted out, even though she had heard him perfectly well.

Malfoy repeated his statement, "Veela wishes his Hermione to _give_ him a kiss." He repeated, emphasising the word give, although it was quite unnecessary.

"What difference does it make who kisses who?" she demanded to know.

Malfoy smiled at her words. "Mate continues to lie to herself." He stated.

Hermione frowned, "What?"

"My Hermione is attracted to Veela," he began whilst Hermione felt warmth bloom in her cheeks, "but she continues to lie to herself. She acts as if she finds Veela's touch repulsive when Veela knows this is not the case. Veela feels her pulse race when he touches her…he smells her arousal when he lays his body behind hers."

Hermione let out a strangled sound from her throat, hoping it would stop him from speaking.

It didn't.

"Veela wants his Mate to admit she enjoys Veela's touch... He wants his Hermione to kiss _him._"

Hermione felt as if the walls were closing in around her. Her temperature seemed to spike and she felt sweat prickling at the back of her neck.

Malfoy said nothing, simply waiting for her to make her move.

Pushing her nerves back down in her throat, Hermione breathed in and out. The look on Malfoy's face, the daring smile he was sending her way, gave her the backbone she needed to walk up to him and tilt her head up.

He looked down at her and Hermione watched his face turn from one showing amusement to one showing complete seriousness.

When he made no move to lower his head, Hermione sucked in a breath. Rising up on her toes, her hand came out to clutch at the front of Malfoy's robes in order to steady herself. Her head tilted up further but she was still too short to reach his lips.

Her eyes flickered up to meet his. She saw the unhelpful look in them and she swallowed heavily before her arms moved upwards in order to clutch at Malfoy's shoulders. The action gave her better support as she rose higher, right on the tips of her toes…only to find herself hovering a few millimetres away from her target.

She kept her precarious balance, her hitching breath coming out in little pants which she knew were hitting Malfoy's mouth.

And then she began to grow uncomfortable. _Merlin, why wasn't he doing anything? She could lean up further anymore!_ And just when she was about to retreat and berate him on just how he expected her to kiss him when she couldn't even reach his bloody lips, his head lowered ever so slightly.

Their lips met for the briefest moment, a touch that couldn't even be considered a kiss- more of a skim.

But now Hermione knew his lips were in her range. And so with a nervous look into Malfoy's inky black eyes, she wet her lips with one last swipe of her tongue before she reached up further and sealed her mouth with his.

For the first second after their lips met, Hermione stood immobile, her body struck still with numbness. But then her innate actions took over and she pressed her mouth to his in a firmer touch. Her head moved closer to his, her body somewhat collapsing into his chest causing her to dig her fingers into his shoulder muscles to hold herself upright.

Her breath was still held tightly in her chest and she had no idea how, but she felt the faint smell of musk and citrus tickle her nose before it wafted upwards and made its way into her head.

Her mouth opened in a gasp, her lips colliding against Malfoy's with more fervour and she revelled in the scent for two heady seconds before her body froze in realisation.

And the realisation wasn't the fact that she was kissing Draco Malfoy.

It was the fact that under hers, his lips weren't kissing her back. In fact, they had yet to move even the slightest.

A wave of insecurities she hadn't known she had shot through her, causing her muscles to tighten in semi panic. Hermione knew she wasn't the most experienced witch…but she had never had any complaints about her kissing abilities.

Another wave of anxiety hit her.

Dear Merlin, this was Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake! He may have been out of action so to speak for the last ten years but she knew perfectly well how much experience he'd had in Hogwarts!

At that thought, her head swung back, one of her hands hurriedly lifting off Malfoy's shoulder in order to shamefully cover her lips. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment and her eyes began flickering around the room, looking at everything whilst blatantly avoiding his gaze.

Realising that she was still leaning against him, she quickly used his chest to push herself off him as she dropped back down to her own two feet. She forced her hand away from her mouth, her gaze intently studying the floor. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, her eyes flicking upwards, landing as close as she dared to Malfoy's eyes, which in turn was a vague spot in between them where his nose began.

Her throat muscles began quivering, her mind screaming at her to say something, _anything_, but the first thing that came to mind, a ridiculous apology for her lack of skills, she quickly forced back down her throat.

When she was certain that any errant embarrassing words weren't about to escape from her mouth, she spoke in a choked voice. "I'll see you later."

The words were barely out of her mouth before she was turning around, ready to leave the room and leave this humiliating situation.

Impossible at it may have seemed, she heard Malfoy's arm shoot out towards her before she felt his tight grip clamp down around her upper arm. She let out a surprised yelp as her body was pulled back around and she breathed in tightly as her chest banged solidly into his.

She didn't need to tilt her head up…because this time Malfoy took care of the hindrance by wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her straight off her feet. Before she could fully take in a breath and demand he put her back down, his lips were smashing into hers, the claws of one of his hands twisting in her hair, cupping her entire head so she couldn't pull away from him.

Her mouth, still open from when she was getting ready to yell at him, was quickly taken advantage of and her eyes closed automatically as she felt Malfoy's tongue enter her mouth, playing with her own for a short second before it moved to lick the roof of her mouth in a motion that tickled.

A blast of Malfoy's scent hit her nose and Hermione groaned at the addictive fragrance…and her body's reaction to it. She felt her blood hammer through her veins and the spot between her legs began to throb.

_Give in..._

She moved her legs to wrap around Malfoy's thighs as her fingers dug into his hair. Her nails scraped across his scalp as she moved her fingers in order to feel the silky softness of what she was touching.

Malfoy's lips detached from hers as he threw his head back, his pleasurable rumble vibrating so loudly through his chest, Hermione's entire body shook in response. As he tipped his head back forward, Hermione panted heavily at the heated look she saw in his eyes.

Her eyes dropped down to his mouth and she watched in fascination at the pointed incisors she could just about make out. Morbidly, she wanted to stick a finger into his mouth and find out how sharp those pointed ends were.

"Mine." Malfoy growled and Hermione looked away from his mouth. His gaze was as possessive as ever and so intense Hermione felt as if he was looking right through her and seeing everything she was trying desperately to keep hidden.

Her head began to swim and she watched in a daze as her right hand left Malfoy's hair and she slowly brought it down to his lips, watching as her thumb rubbed across his lower lip. She jerked it back when he let out another growl and this time his kiss was frenzied.

Hermione tensed as their teeth banged together before she felt a slice of pain on her bottom lip. Her head banged against Malfoy's and she jerked her head back as she heard him breathe in sharply. Her fingers rose to her lips at the same time as her tongue unconsciously swiped across them. She startled at the faint taste of copper before gasping as she was dropped back down onto her own two feet.

"My lip." she whispered as she looked at the small drops of blood on her fingers.

And then her body froze as she realised what she was looking at. Her head whipped up. Malfoy was staring at her lip like a man possessed, or should she say a Veela possessed, but that wasn't what sent a shiver of terror down Hermione's spine.

No, that was the drop of blood she saw on Malfoy's top lip. She dragged in a breath, "Don't-" she began to yell.

But it was too late. And right before her very eyes, she watched in shock as the tip of Malfoy's own tongue peeked out from his mouth and swiped the drop away.

_Dear Merlin!_

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one! I'm sorry for the slight delay but I've just been ridiculously busy! I've had so many events to attend, an engagement, an engagement party, a baby shower, a bon voyage party, a welcome back party and two dinners and to top it all off, I've got the blooming flu! Back to this chapter, or the next one to be precise, there is a sneak peak available for those who want it! Thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

Dear Merlin.

Dear Merlin.

_Dear Merlin!_

_No!_

Horrified, Hermione found herself slowly backing away from Malfoy as she watched his huge, black wings unfurl to their full length.

_Merlin…He was going to attack her! _

"Malfoy!" She whispered, trying frantically to get him to regain control of himself.

It didn't work. _He didn't even seem to recognise her._

His intent gaze remained fixed on hers but there was nothing behind his eyes that Hermione recognised. She never thought she'd be thinking it, but right now, she desperately wanted her Veela back- she would gladly take his occasional growls of "Mine" if it meant not having to face this crazed creature looking back at her.

One word seemed to be screaming around her brain, warning her to back away gradually and prepare herself to run if need be.

_Feral. _

"Malfoy. Stop," She choked out, a hand coming out to uselessly ward him off- her body's ridiculous method of trying to protect itself.

Malfoy's menacing wings grew further, the firelight in the room beginning to get obstructed as the appendages outstretched and fluttered with barely restrained tension.

Hermione quickly took three steps back.

"My Mate," she heard Malfoy growl out in a deep voice.

His gaze shifted from her eyes to her open lip and Hermione instantly sucked it into her mouth. A raised hand hid it further from view. She resolutely ignored the sting as saliva entered the small wound, the metallic taste of iron growing stronger on the taste buds dotted around her tongue.

The action seemed to halt Malfoy for a brief moment, his body jerking slightly and his expression grew stormy that she had dared hide her blood from him. Hermione watched the frown on his forehead deepen and her body tensed even further as her mind churned manically in order to decipher what he was thinking- what his next move would be.

"Malfoy?" she questioned softly.

She flinched as he suddenly let out a bellowing roar, his hands curling into tight fists as a fine tremble overtook his body. "Veela wants!" he demanded as he stared at her, his chest heaving as he pulled in drafts of air.

Hermione didn't need to wait any further to make her decision. She turned on her toes and ran to the bathroom like her life depended on it. When she turned to frantically lock the door behind her, she froze for a brief second as she realised Malfoy was still standing in his original position, bent at the waist slightly as he stared at her.

His animalistic growls were still audible and Hermione shut the door quickly, turning the frail lock in place as if it would do something to protect her. She receded away from the door, her eyes refusing to look away from the dark wood, waiting for Malfoy to burst it open at any moment.

She gasped when she heard another thundering roar, followed by the rupturing sound of a chair being thrown across the room and breaking into a thousand splinters.

Inside the bathroom, Hermione ran to the window, cursing the fact that she hadn't kept hold of her wand.

_Merlin- in the ten years since the War had ended; the innate protective instincts she had built up during her time at Hogwarts had gone to pot! _

She was frantically scrambling with the latch when the bathroom door reverberated, the wood creaking and the walls groaning in protest at the strong thump. Hermione's head whipped around when she heard the loud pound and she froze, waiting for Malfoy to strike again.

"Mate," he growled out.

Hermione said nothing in reply, the lump of nerves in her throat blocking any attempts to speak and instead, she turned back to fiddle with the window. Managing to unlatch the lock, she pushed the glass with every bit of strength in her body.

The pane only opened far enough for her to poke half her head out of it. She swallowed as she realised it wouldn't make an effective escape route and with fingers still tightly clenched in nervous fists, she turned back to face the closed door.

A few seconds of silence passed and growing in confidence, Hermione slowly crept over to the door. When she was near enough, she moved only her head closer and laid her ear flat against the surface.

"My Hermione, Veela can hear you breathing."

She quickly jerked her head back as she held her breath.

Malfoy's voice trickled through the door once more. "Veela can still hear the blood pounding in your veins."

Hermione's breath left her lungs in one long whoosh. She retreated far away from the door, stopping only when the small of her back collided painfully with the sink. Turning around, she found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror.

Her eyes dropped to the small cut in her bottom lip, the open skin still glistening with blood, the area around it inflamed an angry red colour.

With floundering fingers, she managed to fiddle with the knobs until a rush of clear water was flowing from the tap. She cupped her hands, collecting enough water before she threw it over her face. The second handful was aimed at her lip and despite the smarting soreness; Hermione washed the cut until she was sure all dried blood had been eradicated from view.

Feeling somewhat better, she dried her face with handfuls of scrunched up tissue, dabbing at her lip carefully to avoid splitting it open again. And then she turned back to the door. She hesitated to walk back over to it, knowing that Malfoy would be able to tell when she moved closer to him.

She took in a few deep breaths, trying to control her still thumping heart. "Malfoy?" she croaked out.

The reply was immediate. Thankfully, his voice sounded a lot less wild.

_Or was he just pretending?_

"Veela is here, Mate. Open the door."

"…No…"

"…_Mate_…"

Hermione could hear the heavy apology in his voice but she couldn't bring herself to open the door yet. Not until she could be sure he had managed to calm himself back down. _Merlin, she wanted her wand! _

She didn't realise she had whispered the words out loud to herself until she heard Malfoy reply.

"Veela can only give my Hermione her wand if she opens the door. But she will _not_ use it against Veela." The last half of his sentence came out in a terse order, a complete contrast to the softer tone of his first few words.

Hermione swallowed forcefully, something in her throat grating painfully as she forced it down. She took two hesitant steps towards the door and she heard a creak come from behind it as Malfoy shifted his weight.

"I'll open the door…but only if you leave the room." Hermione told him in a firm a voice as she could muster.

"Veela will not leave his Mate alone. Not when she is wounded."

"I can heal the cut in two seconds… It's nothing." She replied in a deliberately light and dismissing tone. "But I need my wand to do so."

"Mate will have her wand if she opens the door."

"Leave the room first," Hermione told him.

"Veela is not leaving."

_Well then I'm not coming out! _Thankfully, Hermione managed to keep the childish words contained in her throat.

She tried a different tactic. "Malfoy, please..."

"Veela is not leaving the room. Mate must come out… so Veela can…apologise."

Hermione took in a tight breath. _Apologise?! _ Before she could question further, he continued.

"Mate must open the door."

Hermione's hand reached out to unlock the door but something inside her still made her hesitate. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other nervously. "…Go and stand by the bedroom door," she told him.

She waited with a strained ear to hear if Malfoy had followed her order. Instead he spoke, his voice coming right from the other side of the door.

"If Veela wished it so, this door would be no obstacle to getting to his Mate."

Hermione stopped breathing as she was reminded of that little fact. Behind the perceived safety of the door, she didn't move an inch.

Malfoy's heavy sigh was loud enough to come through the thick wood, "Very well…Veela will wait by the door."

Hermione heard his retreating footsteps but it still took her a full five seconds of tense silence before her fingers reached out to turn the lock. And then it was another three seconds of even tenser silence as she waited, expecting him to barge in. When she realised he wasn't going to, her hand turned the knob and she inched the door open.

The first thing her gaze landed on was her wand on the bedside table directly opposite to where she was currently standing. Without looking at Malfoy, she made a mad dash towards it, picking it up and clutching it to her chest before she whirled around.

As promised, Malfoy was hovering by the door and whilst Hermione was glad she didn't see the frenzied look behind his eyes anymore, he was no less scary looking with his teeth still elongated into piercing points and his wings quivering with restrained energy.

She quickly spoke the charm that would heal her lip and she felt the bite close as her skin knitted back together. It was only when she was certain the wound was fully sealed that she allowed her shoulders to drop slightly in relief.

_At least the open temptation was out of sight now… Or so she hoped. _

From opposite ends of the room, she and Malfoy stared at each in silence. That was until he made a move to step towards her and Hermione instinctively outstretched her wand, the Stupefy spell ready to spew forth.

Malfoy halted and his jaw clenched tightly as he took in the situation. With obvious great effort, he forced his wings to retreat back under his skin.

Hermione took in a shaky breath. "We have to go and see Healer Johnson," she said, ignoring the confused furrow between Malfoy's eyebrows. "I want to go and see him," she stated firmly.

"…The Healer will be able to do nothing."

Those weren't the words Hermione wanted to hear and she felt panic enter her head.

"He might know what to do," she said desperately. _He had to know what to do!_

With determination dogging her footsteps, she walked up to Malfoy, planning to get around him without touching him and then setting off to find Healer Johnson, the last hope she had right now.

When she reached him, Hermione couldn't look at Malfoy and she merely stared at his chest when he refused to shift. She jolted when instead; he gently snagged hold of her wrist.

"Mate will look at Veela," he said softly.

Hermione shook her head slightly in refusal.

From above her, Malfoy's head bent down further, his next words hitting the top of her forehead. "My Hermione will look at Veela."

Hermione took in a deep shuddering breath before she lifted her head slightly, flickering her gaze from one side to the other before she finally met his stare. She froze when his hand came up to softly swipe away a tear she hadn't known had fallen and she closed her eyes at the tender touch.

"Veela… is sorry. My Hermione must know Veela did not plan this."

Hermione turned her head away from his fingers. _This wasn't want she wanted to hear! They had to find Healer Johnson._

Malfoy didn't relent and his hand merely followed the turn of her head until he was cupping her cheek with his palm. The claws of his other hand came up to trail lightly over her skin.

"Veela did not plan this. He tried not to lose control… Mate was kissing him so softly…but then she stopped…My Hermione must know Veela would never harm his Mate."

His last words came out strongly and Hermione knew. Deep down, she realised that she believed him, that he was speaking the truth about it being an accident. But a small part of her wasn't ready to let go of her anger just yet. A small part of her cruelly wanted him to feel guilty.

How could he have lost control like that!

_Merlin, how could she have lost control like that! _That was the thought that was bothering her the most. One little slip and her life had just irrevocably changed forever.

_No!_

"I want to go and see Healer Johnson," she whispered again, still refusing to meet Malfoy's gaze.

She heard him sigh. "…Very well," he said as his hands dropped from her cheeks. Hermione exhaled in relief at the loss of his touch. Unfortunately it wasn't long lasting as he took hold of her fingers and twined them tightly with his.

In awkward silence, the two set off to find Healer Johnson.

ooo

They didn't have to search for very long. They found the Healer at the first place they looked, in the Ward. Padma was also there, although that should have been evident to Hermione when she first spotted both Zabini and James hovering just inside the Ward's closed doors.

As she walked past the witch, Hermione couldn't bring herself to return her friend's warm smile and she felt Padma's concerned gaze follow her and Malfoy as the two of them walked through the Ward to where Healer Johnson was sitting at the Nurse's Station.

He looked up when he heard them, his smile also faltering when he caught sight of the undoubtedly solemn expression on both her and Malfoy's faces.

"Hermione? What is wrong? Has something happened?" he asked in quick succession as he stood from his seat.

"I need to talk to you," she replied woodenly, "in private please." She asked, although she mentally scoffed at the notion of privacy.

"Mione? Is everything okay?" she heard Padma ask from behind her.

Hermione found herself nodding her head automatically, not wanting Padma to worry. "I just need to talk to Healer Johnson in private."

She kept her eyes on Healer Johnson and watched him exchange a look with Padma before he nodded and indicated for her and Malfoy to follow him. They left the Ward, Hermione feeling the inquisitive stare of every patient they passed before the doors closed and they walked into a small room a few feet away.

Having learnt her lesson, Hermione waved her wand and whispered the Muffliato charm so no-one would pick up on their conversation. There was no way she wanted what had occurred between her and Malfoy to get out to the rest of the Manor's occupants!

"I take it something has happened? Mr Malfoy, have you remembered something?"

From beside her, Malfoy shook his head once.

Hermione ran her tongue around her mouth as she thought of how to begin the conversation. In the end, the words tumbled out of her mouth. "He bit me."

She watched Healer Johnson startle in shock and Malfoy also jerked at her blunt words.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to care. She needed answers. _She needed to know what this meant! _And so she resolutely continued. "I need to know what this means. I've already bitten him…accidentally…and now this." She swallowed as she felt tears build up in her throat. She firmly pushed them away.

She listened to Healer Johnson splutter for a very short moment before his worried eyes met hers. "I take it you are not injured seriously?"

Hermione shook her head. "It was a small bite to my lip. I healed it…but he's taken in some of my blood… I saw him." She ended in a whisper.

Healer Johnson swallowed loudly before he shifted uncomfortably. "And…did things between the two of you…progress any further?"

Hermione's cheeks blushed red. "_No!_" she denied strongly in an offended tone. She felt Malfoy squeeze her hand warningly at her horrified tone but she ignored him as she continued speaking.

"As far as I know...bonding…with a Veela means exchanging blood…during intercourse." She said as her cheeks reddened further. She couldn't believe she was discussing sex with her boss. "So this still means that we're fine doesn't it?" she asked, desperation tinging her voice.

Healer Johnson looked silently between her and Malfoy, a small crease in the middle of his forehead. "I'm afraid- I'm not entirely- sure."

"We are bonded."

The damning words from Malfoy's mouth reverberated around the room and both Healer Johnson and Hermione whipped their heads up to look at him.

Malfoy was looking down at her and his hand squeezed hers once again. "We are bonded."

Hermione refused to believe him. They hadn't had sex and wasn't he the one who'd said that the bonding ceremony involved an exchange of blood during sex!

Her mind began ringing. "We can't be," she whispered out loud. It was bad enough to think that from now onwards, Malfoy would probably need to drink from her in order to sustain himself now that he'd had a taste of her blood, but there was no possible way they were bonded!

She turned her accusing gaze to meet his. "You said that the bonding ceremony involves an exchange of blood whilst we have sex. How do you know that we're bonded when we haven't done the full ceremony?!" she demanded.

"Veela knows. He can feel it inside him."

"I can't feel anything!" Hermione told him angrily.

"Mate is too stubborn. She refuses to let her body feel without her mind interfering."

Hermione huffed and turned away…back to face Healer Johnson who she looked at imploringly. "I don't feel any different." She told him. "If he says he feels something shouldn't I feel it too? _I don't feel anything!_"

"Healer Granger…" Healer Johnson said in a calming voice.

It only worked minutely.

"I am unsure of what to tell you. My knowledge of the Veela bonding ceremony is limited to what you shared with me a few days ago. I've not managed to find any other information."

Mentally, Hermione began screaming.

"I think it would be best if we contacted Mrs Weasley again. Hopefully she will be able to shed some light on the situation?"

Hermione jumped. _Yes! Fleur!_ She nodded her agreement enthusiastically. Healer Johnson excused himself to Floo call Shell Cottage and it was only a few seconds after he'd walked out that Hermione realised she and Malfoy were alone in the room.

She quickly made to follow Healer Johnson but Malfoy's hold on her hand stopped her. Grudgingly, she turned to face him.

"Does my Hermione forgive Veela?" he asked her softly.

Hermione glanced up at him before pausing at the obvious anxiety clearly showing on his features. She swallowed, her need for revenge slipping away at the sight of his pained expression.

"I know you didn't mean to lose control." She admitted.

She held her breath in her chest as she allowed Malfoy's fingers to settle warmly around the nape of her neck. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to drop his hand, she slowly released her breath.

"We should go and see if Fleur is available."

Malfoy's fingers tightened around her neck in response. "We are bonded." He repeated once again in a purposefully firm voice.

Hermione closed her eyes, her head shaking slightly from side to side. "We might not be…"

She heard him sigh deeply as his fingers shifted, one claw coming up to trace the curve of her ear. "How many people will it take for my Hermione to believe what Veela says is true?"

Hermione didn't respond out loud.

"Veela is aware that his Hermione was not yet ready to… accept… her position as Veela's Mate."

Hermione scoffed. _No kidding!_

"But she must." He finished obstinately.

Behind her closed eyelids, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Merlin, Hermione!"

Hermione jerked as she heard Fleur's voice, her eyes opening just in time for Fleur's belly to bounce into her frame as the female Veela folded her into a hug as much as her pregnancy allowed.

"I came through as soon as Healer Johnson Floo called me."

Hermione frowned, "What about the Ward's?"

Fleur waved a dismissing hand. "That's not important. Tell me what happened between you and Malfoy!" she said, eyeing Malfoy with a suspicious glare.

Hermione glanced at Malfoy nervously before she recounted their short tale. She heard Fleur's gasp when she was forced to admit that the only reason she'd received a bite to the lip was because she had been kissing Malfoy but she resolutely ignored it.

By the time she'd finished talking; Fleur was looking at her with a gobsmacked expression. Worried that the witch might topple over in shock, Hermione ushered her towards a chair on which the witch gracefully slumped.

"I don't believe this…" Fleur murmured to herself.

Hermione swallowed. "Do you know what this means?"

Fleur frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hermione continued. "I mean, do you know what this means between Malfoy and me?" she paused, taking in a deep breath before she spoke the next part of her sentence, "Malfoy seems to think that we're bonded now."

Fleur's eyes flicked between Malfoy and her, her expression of astonishment not fading in the slightest. Her mouth opened and closed a few times but no words were spoken.

In the silence, Hermione quickly voiced her opinions, "I thought the bonding ceremony involved an exchange of blood during sex," she said, very aware that she was repeating the same sentence over and over again.

Fleur's eyes settled on hers and her expression morphed into one of dismay. Hermione's stomach rolled in response.

"The bonding ceremony is considered to be a very sacred act. I don't think I've ever heard of a Veela and her Mate exchanging blood _by accident_," Fleur said with a shaking head, "But regardless of how it happened…I'm sorry Hermione…but I think you and Malfoy are bonded now."

_No!_ Hermione scrambled off her seat, "But we're only half bonded isn't it? I mean, until we sleep together…" her voice trailed off when she saw Fleur shake her head once more.

"Like I said, the bonding ceremony is considered to be a very sacred act. It's when the Veela binds her Mate to herself and when the Mate agrees to be bound to his Veela. It is like a marriage…and so in the old days…the bonding ceremony was accompanied by a wedding night."

Hermione closed her eyes as she realised where this was going but still she couldn't stop herself from listening to Fleur's explanation.

"Over time, the bonding ceremony and the "wedding night" became linked. One wouldn't happen without the other, at least not in those times, which is why when a Veela explains the bonding ceremony; we say it involves the exchange of blood during intercourse."

Silence encompassed the room for the next few seconds. Numbly, Hermione slumped back down in her chair.

_Dear Merlin- _it was_ true_… she and Malfoy were _bonded_ to each other!

And when she accepted that fact in her head, the strangest thing happened. Something cloudy in her mind slowly disappeared to reveal a golden shimmery thread. When she mentally touched it, she gasped as she somehow sensed Malfoy on the other end.

Behind her, Malfoy's palm settled around her neck before he squeezed once. "Mate feels it now." He stated in a pleased voice.

Hermione tried to settle her thumping pulse.

_She certainly did feel it now. _

* * *

_Author's Note: Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review so far! Thank You Thank You Thank You! Until next time, Curiositykils. _

_P.S. Please remember that I can't send sneak peaks to readers who have turned off their PM feature so if you asked for one in the last chapter and I didn't reply, you know what you need to change!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise. _

* * *

"Mate…"

Hermione ignored Malfoy's gentle call of her newly official title. Over the last few days she had learnt to pick her battles with him. She'd half got used to Malfoy's soft growls of "Mine" and "Mate" at every turn, but now, hearing the word fall from his lips caused her to flinch internally.

She was his Mate!

He had bound himself to her and for all intents and purposes, she was now bound to him too.

_"It is like a marriage…"_

Merlin, she had just gained a husband, all because of one kiss!

And the horrible thing was that she was beginning to realise there might not be any going back. Even if she did somehow find a way to break this bond between them, she had a mental picture in her head of Malfoy following her wherever she tried to disappear to.

"Mione," she heard Fleur call softly.

Hermione swallowed painfully as she lifted her head. Her body did another internal flinch as she saw the pitying expression on Fleur's face and she found herself quickly looking away. If she continued to look at her friend, a witch she now considered part of her extended family, then the tears she was holding back in her throat were going to spill free.

She needed to go back to her bedroom. She needed to sort through everything that had just happened and make sense of it all.

The tip of one of Malfoy's claws touched the underside of her chin and her body jerked in the seat. She felt him apply a slight pressure and she followed his indicative movement by finally lifting her head to face him.

_Her husband…_

Dear Merlin.

Trying to keep the thoughts running through her head to herself, she knew she had failed miserably when she watched Malfoy's eyes narrow at whatever he saw.

She swallowed heavily, feeling incredibly uncomfortable and in the end, she couldn't hold his gaze any longer. Her eyes moved behind Malfoy's broad chest and she saw Healer Johnson peeking at her with a worried expression. She flushed in embarrassment.

_Merlin, she needed to get back to her room. _

Hermione made her decision and quickly stood from her seat. Malfoy's hand dropped away from her face, allowing her to finally take in a deep breath and gather her thoughts before she turned back to face him again.

She spoke, her voice coming out in an unnaturally tight voice, "I'm going to go back to our bedroom. I just need a few minutes," she told him.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed further but before he could say anything, Hermione turned her head away to look at Fleur. She sent the witch an imploring stare and her shoulders slumped in relief when the female Veela nodded slightly, agreeing to Hermione's silent plea for her to join her when she retreated.

She made to do so, stepping two steps to the side to avoid Malfoy and then another two steps towards the door when she felt Malfoy's fingers clamp down around her thin wrist.

Her breath caught in her chest and she turned her head to look over shoulder, her mouth opening in readiness to tell him that she needed a few minutes alone when he beat her to it.

"Was my Hermione speaking the truth?"

Hermione frowned at the odd question. "…When?" she finally asked.

"When she told Veela not to lie about his health?" he asked her.

After a second, her head jerked stiltedly into what Hermione hoped resembled a nod. Malfoy responded my tugging her towards him. She wasn't ready for the sudden pull and she tumbled forward into his chest. His arms quickly went around her back before she could straighten up, clinching her to him as his head lowered so he could speak softly in her ear.

"Veela is hungry for his Mate."

Hermione froze in his hold. She could only watch numbly as Malfoy's head retreated back, his heated eyes searing hers as he waited for her to…_what?_

_What did he expect her to do?_ Gladly allow him access to her veins when he had freaked out over a single drop of blood?!

Her reply was the universal, "What?" something she managed to choke out in a high pitched voice after a few silent seconds.

Malfoy's didn't reply verbally. Instead the claw of one finger dragged slowly up her throat before circling her thumping pulse.

Cold realisation flooded through Hermione as she realised he'd said what she'd thought she'd heard him say.

She twisted her head to the side, looking at Fleur for guidance.

_She couldn't deal with this right now. _Couldn't he have given her a few minutes to sort things out in her head before announcing his dinner plans? Merlin! Was that too much to ask for!

Fleur was looking at Malfoy with a suspicious glare on her pretty face, "You said you already bit Hermione. There shouldn't be any need for you to feed again so soon." She told him in a stern voice that Hermione had seen her use on Dominique.

Malfoy replied by growling and it was clearly a growl of warning. Upon hearing the sound, Hermione's entire body tensed in alarm, preparing to intervene in case he actually lost control and attacked Fleur.

Malfoy continued, "This is between Veela and my Mate. You have no business here _female_."

Fleur shook off his words with an upwards tilt of her chin, "I'm here because _Hermione_ wants me here. And until she tells me to leave, I'm staying right here."

Hermione tried to push out of Malfoy's hold but his arms didn't budge an inch. Worryingly, his throaty growls grew that much louder at Fleur's words.

"Malfoy, stop it." She told him sharply.

He stopped instantly, looking down at her for a moment before he threw Fleur a look of extreme annoyance that Hermione was telling him off because of her.

"Tell the female to leave," he said insolently before his voice dropped to a whisper. "…And then Veela can be alone with his Mate."

Hermione didn't want to think of where being alone with Malfoy would get her- it certainly wasn't anywhere good and she pushed at his arms once more. "Let me go." She told him.

His hold loosened enough for her to twist back around so she was facing Fleur but he didn't let go completely. Hermione tried to ignore the warm palms resting low on her belly as much as possible.

She needed to get some more information from Fleur. _Crucial information._

"When he bit my lip, he only took in a drop of my blood." Hermione told her.

The suspicious look slipped of Fleur's face. "…Oh."

Hermione waited for her to say more but she didn't and so Hermione pushed. "Oh?"

Fleur's face twisted, "Well I suppose I can…understand why he's still hungry."

That definitely wasn't what Hermione wanted to hear.

She looked at Healer Johnson instead, "Will simply smelling my blood through my skin still work?" she asked him.

The Healer's response was hesitant, "I-I suppose that might still be true."

"It won't be." Both Malfoy and Fleur spoke at the exact same time. The former's voice boomed loudly around the small room whilst the latter's was soft but still audible.

Hermione didn't have time to focus on their words for more than two seconds before she was snaked back around. She tensed as Malfoy's fingers slid through her hair. He pulled slightly and Hermione had no choice but to raise her face to meet his gaze.

_They were so eerily black…_

"Mate, you accepted Veela as yours."

Hermione couldn't quite help the screech escaping from her throat, "_And?!_"

Malfoy growled in anger at the tone.

Fleur quickly intervened, "…Hermione, through the bonding ceremony you agreed to provide your Veela with the sustenance she- oh sorry- _he_ needs to survive."

The words rang through Hermione's head and she screamed mentally. _Why didn't anyone understand? _

She forced herself to calm down by forcing deep gulps of air into her lungs. "_Okay_…so what does that mean? How much blood does he need? Where does he bite? How often?" the questions tumbled out one after the other in quick succession.

"He'll be able to sense when he's taken enough. And how often he needs to feed depends on how much energy he expends throughout the day…_physically_," The enunciated word left no doubt as to what Fleur meant and she continued on with red cheeks, "Once a day is usually the norm, although I think some Veela feed more than once…I'm not very sure. It's not something that is broadcast to others…As for where he can bite…" Fleur trailed off before fidgeting violently, "Well that's anywhere where there's a vein."

Hermione swallowed down the information, "How long can a Veela go without feeding?" she asked. _That_ was the question that she wanted the answer to.

"I'm not sure …I do know that if a Veela's mate passes away, then they too will pass."

"Right…no fresh blood pumping through their veins." Hermione muttered quietly to herself.

Fleur nodded.

Hermione jerked as she felt Malfoy's palms slide under her top. Her own hands came to push at his wrists in order to get them out from under her clothes but it was like trying to move a stubborn Hippogriff. She felt his head bend and his nose nuzzle through her hair in order to hit her neck. He took in an audible deep breath and Hermione flushed at the sensation.

She wasn't the only one embarrassed at the display of affection. Both Fleur and Healer Johnson averted their eyes uncomfortably.

"Malfoy!" Hermione whispered firmly.

"Mate smells so delicious."

Hermione's head fell forward when she felt something wet lick at her throat and she squealed. "Malfoy! Stop it!"

His head retreated and his lips instead moved to her ear, "Come, Veela is hungry," he said, accompanying his words with a small nip to her ear lobe.

Hermione jerked her head away, "Stop it!"

She was twisted back around in one firm pull. When the spots of dizziness had faded from her vision, she saw Malfoy's angered expression.

"Why does Mate deny Veela feeding from her? She should be pleased to serve Veela."

"_Excuse me?!_" Hermione screeched out. She faintly heard Healer Johnson expel a soft "Oh dear," but she ignored him, "Forgive me if I'm not flying though Quidditch hoops at the thought of letting you feed from me, Malfoy. But it was only half an hour ago that you tasted a drop of my blood and nearly attacked me!"

"Veela was surprised."

"And this time you expect me to believe things will be _different?!_"

"_Yes_. Veela will control himself better. He was not expecting Mate's blood essence to taste so sweet."

Hermione had no clue to what to say.

"Mione…" Fleur said.

Thank Merlin. At least Fleur might know something. That thought was quickly squashed.

"If you don't feed him…allow him to feed from you then he won't make it…or worse."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Worse?"

_She might not be his biggest fan at the moment but what in Merlin's name could be worse than Malfoy dying?_

"I've never heard of it happening before… but from what you told me of Malfoy's actions at the hospital Ward, he's not like other Veela. He might…snap."

"…Snap," Hermione whispered.

"What if he forces you? He might attack you in order to get your blood."

"Lies!" Malfoy roared from behind her back.

Hermione flinched at the sound and then let out a small scream as she was lifted in the air.

"Veela would never harm his Hermione. _Never._ You tell her _lies!_"

He stepped towards Fleur in a threatening move and the pregnant witch quickly backed up, her arms coming to cross over her swollen stomach in order to protect her unborn child.

"Malfoy stop it. You can't hurt her!" Hermione yelled in his ear.

His head whipped around to face hers and Hermione watched with wide eyes as a fire lit behind his eyes. His nostrils flared as he attempted to control his harsh breathing.

"The female tells my Hermione untruths! She will leave. _Now!_"

Hermione turned back to look at Fleur who was gazing back at her with a shocked expression on her face.

Hermione's mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally managed to get her throat working again. She turned to look at Malfoy, hoping her face had replaced the terror she was feeling into something softer.

"Veela, you need to listen to me. Fleur didn't mean anything by that. She's just worried about me and she was trying to protect me. You like people who try to protect me, remember?"

Against her stomach, she felt Malfoy's chest continue to pant heavily before the movements slowly lessened as he gained control of his anger.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Malfoy looked at her before he smiled, basking in pride that he had pleased his Mate. Hermione quickly looked back to Fleur, knowing her time with the witch was about to run out.

Malfoy took advantage of her looking in the other direction by doing a face plant into the side of her neck and purring loudly.

Hermione swallowed tightly. "I have this thing in my head. It's like a gold thread. What is that?" she asked. _Please tell me I'm not losing my mind!_

"Veela and their Mates become linked after the bonding ceremony. The link grows as you grow together. My grand-maman could communicate with my great-père through their link after decades of marriage. It built up from slowly being able to feel what the other was feeling. They learnt to control it through practice."

Unconsciously, Hermione mentally touched her end of the shimmery thread. She gasped as the thread glowed bright and a rush of emotion came at her. Malfoy's emotions.

_Dear Merlin. _

Pleasure.

Satisfaction.

Peace.

_Love. _

She quickly dropped the connection, her eyes opening to see Malfoy studying her. She flushed as she realised he must have felt her emotions as well.

"My Mate is scared of Veela." He stated slowly, as if he was finding it difficult to accept the words.

Hermione ran her tongue over her dry mouth, "I'm…nervous about…"

Malfoy cocked his head to the side in confusion, "About?"

"About you feeding from me." Hermione admitted.

Malfoy's eyes widened, "So my Mate agrees to allow Veela sustenance from her body. To take from her what he wishes."

This time it was Hermione's eyes that widened. She quickly rushed to correct him. "My blood, Malfoy. Not my body."

She watched his teeth grind together at her continued reticence but there was no way Hermione was about to back down from this. And then she watched something calculating enter his eyes and he nodded his head in agreement.

She continued to study him, trying to figure out what he was planning behind those inky black pools but unfortunately, he was able to control his expressions a lot better than she was.

Eventually, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Can you put me down now?"

Malfoy complied, holding her steady for a few moments until she was steady on her own two feet. Once she'd regained her balance, she flicked her eyes between Malfoy, Fleur and Healer Johnson.

"Okay…" she began to say, wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans, "so how do we do this?"

"Mate and Veela will return to their bedroom." Malfoy stated.

Hermione bit her lip, "I actually meant who else is going to be there. Just in case." She added quickly for Malfoy's benefit.

Healer Johnson began to speak. "I feel the tenebris ones would be best. We might be in need of their inhumane strength."

Hermione nodded her head. Right, so Zabini and James and whoever else might be available.

"Er, Hermione…" Fleur started to say before she was interrupted.

In Hermione's head, she felt a ball of furious crackling energy hit her full on.

"Veela and his Hermione will be alone when he takes her vein for the first time!" Malfoy roared.

Hermione flinched, both at the sound of his voice but also at the pain in her head. She lifted her fingers in order to massage at her temple. The ringing she was hearing didn't abate.

She felt a delicate hand touch her wrist and forced herself to fight back the ringing. She opened her eyes to see Fleur stood right in front of her.

The rouge flush in her cheeks didn't settle Hermione's nerves. Instinctively, she knew that she wasn't about to like what Fleur was about to say.

"Hermione…Veela like to take their Mate's vein when they climax. Having people in the room…"

Hermione recoiled and her voice came out in a loud yell, "There will not be any climaxing! I've agreed to let him feed from me…not do other things to me."

Fleur continued to look uncomfortable, "I know that…but still, the act is very private…_intimate_…having others in the room would be like you inviting them to watch you have…_you know_…"

Hermione blushed so hard she felt the warmth emitting from her cheeks.

"But…"

"You've forgotten about the bonding scent." Fleur quickly rushed on. "When he's feeding from you, you won't be able to stop from smelling his bonding scent."

"He can control it." Hermione informed Fleur.

The witch shook her head, "Trust me, when he's drinking from you- he won't be able to control anything."

"But that's all the more reason to have others in the room! What if he-"

Hermione was turned back around and she looked up at Malfoy.

"My Hermione will voice her fears to Veela. Veela will be the one to make his Mate feel safe and comfortable."

Hermione's front two teeth nibbled at her bottom lip. "Okay, fine. I'm scared that you'll lose control. I don't want- I know you want- that you're ready to take things further between us…but I'm not. Not yet."

_Dear Merlin- she was trying to get her husband to agree to no sex on what was apparently their wedding night._ If this wasn't actually happening to her, Hermione would think it to be the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

Malfoy's face twisted and Hermione froze. He seemed to retreat and a thought entered her head. Was what she was making him promise about to scupper whatever plans he'd thought up two minutes ago?

"Malfoy…If you can't promise that you won't lose control…then the only way you'll make me feel safe is by allowing someone else to be in the room with us."

That snapped him out of his head sharpish. His eyes narrowed. "Veela promises. He will not lose control…but if his Hermione should change her mind?" he said, testing out the waters.

Hermione knew what he was referring to. "Not even then. Whatever I say under the bonding scent doesn't count. You have to promise me- not tonight."

Malfoy didn't look pleased but he eventually nodded his head in agreement. Hermione only felt a small measure of relief.

"Okay…so we'll be alone in the room," she said before turning back to Fleur, "Is it okay if they wait outside?"

Fleur looked hesitant but she nodded, "If you're okay with them hearing whatever goes on between you and Malfoy."

Hermione scoffed mentally. There definitely wasn't anything about to happen between her and Malfoy.

ooo

Hermione exited the bathroom slowly. She'd needed a few moments to herself before she let Malfoy feed from her. Things had been made that much worse when upon entering the room, she'd realised the chair she thought he'd splintered into tiny pieces a half hour ago had actually turned out to be his bed.

_His bed! _

Not only did this ratchet up her nervousness, it also meant that once again, they would be sharing a bed tonight after she'd sated his hunger for her blood.

Clearing her throat, she walked over to what had become her side of the bed. She stood in silence as she looked over at Malfoy who had stretched his body out languorously.

She fidgeted, shifting from one foot to the other. "How do you want to do this?" she asked him.

Malfoy lifted a single eyebrow, his eyes twinkling mischievously at her words and Hermione allowed herself to smile a small smile.

"I meant which vein…I'm assuming you'll want to…feed…at my neck?"

Isn't that what she'd seen in Muggle films and read about in Muggle books? The jugular seemed like the place to go for these things. Of course, that was when most of the supernatural creatures wanted to kill their victim...

She quickly shook those thoughts out of her head.

"If Mate does not want Veela at her neck, there are many more interesting veins he can feed from."

His eyes dropped down to spot between her thighs and she spluttered as she choked on her own saliva.

"I think the neck will be sufficient!" she managed to point out.

Malfoy grinned, his smile showing off his elongating incisors and the smile dropped off Hermione's face.

"One day, Mate…" he promised.

Hermione shook that off too.

She moved to sit on the bed, her back flat against the headboard. Malfoy lifted himself up into a sitting position too before his arms came out to pull her against him. Hermione stayed stiff but silent as he arranged her as to how he wanted her.

She ended up straddling him, her chest pressing tight against his hard muscles and she breathed in, her nose tickling as she began to drink in the bonding scent that was seeping freely from his skin.

Malfoy's head lowered and his nose burrowed into the side of her throat. He let out another growl, a rumble that came up from his chest, shaking the both of them with its vibrations.

"_Mate…my Hermione_." She felt him say reverently against her skin.

Hermione closed her eyes as the tension seeped out of her bones and muscles. All she wanted to concentrate on was Malfoy's citrusy scent and breathing in as much as she could.

Dazedly, she felt him planting kisses on her neck, lapping at her pulse point before nuzzling, and breathing in the scent of her skin in deep purring breaths.

She shivered as she felt him run his teeth along her skin and she began yearning for his bite. She wanted to feel his teeth pierce her skin. She wanted to feel his mouth pull draws of her blood into his mouth.

_She wanted him_.

"Malfoy…_please_." She whispered as her own head turned to dig into his throat.

Her body scrambled to get closer to him and she moaned as her jeans rubbed against his slowly growing erection. Her clit brushed against denim through the thin layer of her panties and jolts of pleasure ran up her spine. She quickly rocked against him again, and then again, revelling at the feelings the movement gave her.

"Mate!" Malfoy rumbled out in a strangled sound.

Hermione could only moan in response.

"_Mine!_"

And then he pierced her with his teeth.

Hermione gasped as she felt his fangs slice deep through her thin skin. She heard his deep growl of pleasure at her taste and in response, her eyes rolled back behind her eyelids.

And then she felt his first pull and her body jack-knifed in his hold. His arms tightened around her reflexively and Hermione increased the fervour of her rocking against him. She grew frustrated when it wasn't enough. She needed to get closer to him. _She wanted to be in him. _

She settled for clinging against him as tightly and closely as she could get, grinding her hips against his erection and letting out pleasure filled mews of delight at the building pressure.

Every suck of blood he pulled from her body lit a direct fire to her pussy and it clenched in time to his draws.

_Dear Merlin… _

Her thrusting became wild. She felt Malfoy try to contain her actions but she resisted in his grasp. She needed to fall off the cliff. She needed to come…_so badly._

His scent swam around her head, blocking out everything but the two of them and the feeling of her body pressed against his.

Malfoy groaned against her skin, his wet tongue coming to circle around his fangs and when he let out a pained rumble, pulling his incisors out of her flesh, Hermione actually yelled out in protest.

The hands digging into his shoulders lifted to thread through his hair. And then she pulled with all her might in order to get his head back to where she wanted him to be. Malfoy let out another resigned groan, his head dropping down to her shoulder and she sighed as he began to idly kiss the still open points on her skin.

"Come, Mate." She heard Malfoy demand.

Hermione let out a frustrated cry as she tried to comply. But it wasn't enough- she needed-

"_Now!_"

And then as if he'd sensed what she'd needed, his teeth sank back into her throat.

Hermione flew over the edge, not caring in the least about the fall.

Malfoy's wings would catch her.

ooo

109 miles away from Tenebris Seminio Manor in Muggle London, a black haired man walked into a sparse room. His eyes immediately landed on the four others in the room. They were seated side by side, in one long line, their backs shadowed by the tall leather armchairs they were seated on.

Metres in front of them stood his own seat, a plastic black chair, similar to something that you would see in one of his kid's school. That uncomfortable chair that he would sit in annually when he went to parent's evenings with his wife.

With his confident persona in place, he walked over to the group, bending to sit in the unoccupied chair before bringing one leg to cross over the other in a posture of self-assuredness.

He studied the four gentlemen in front of him with a neutral expression on his face. Inside, he was quivering.

There were a few moments of silence before the gentleman on the furthest left spoke. "The experiments have been found. The walls are slowly closing in around us."

He kept his mouth shut; knowing that to interrupt them would surely result in his death.

Another picked up from where the gentleman had left off. "You have failed us. We are most displeased."

And so it began.

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_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. You guys continue to knock my socks off! Just to answer a frequent question I seem to be getting. Yes, Malfoy will eventually regain his memories and no I'm not sure when this will happen. It's up to my fingers! They type what they want! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Important:** **I accidentally left out a vital detail in the last chapter. Please re-read the first line of the last scene with the gentlemen. I added three little words which make a big difference! Thank You!**

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_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

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Hermione woke up slowly. The light streaming in through the windows clashed painfully with her still sleepy eyes and the burn radiated sharply to her temple. She snapped her eyes shut, her nose wrinkling at the stinging pain.

_Why weren't the curtains closed? And why was the mattress so hard? And what time was it? Why hadn't her alarm gone off? Why hadn't she woken up before her alarm had gone off? _

The questions drifted through her mind in quick succession and with squinted eyes, she lifted her head off her rock hard mattress.

She froze when one glance up answered her second question. Dear Merlin- she was draped all over Malfoy! She was practically laying spread eagled over his body, her right arm hugging his waist whilst her right leg was flung proprietarily over his thighs.

_Please don't let him be awake! _

"Good morning, Mate."

Hermione tensed as she heard him speak. Underneath her chest, his own, the very thing she'd apparently been using as a pillow, rumbled in vibration.

She swallowed in embarrassment, eventually tilting her head back further only to see him looking down on her with a pleased smile over his face.

Her eyes widened at his expression and she quickly made to lift off his body but the hands clasped at her waist tightened and she dropped back down on him with a whoosh.

She sent him an uncomfortable look, managing to manoeuvre her legs so that she was no longer straddling him but his refusal to let go off her waist meant she ended up lying in an odd diagonal position.

"Um, Malfoy." She said as she made to push herself off his chest again.

This time he complied and Hermione quickly shifted her upper body off his, pulling the duvet around her body in a defensive armour.

_What in Merlin's name had happened?_ In the next split second, last night's events hit her like a Bludger to the head.

_Dear Merlin! _

She gasped in her embarrassment, flicking her gaze to Malfoy's before shifting it away when she saw his satisfied smile had turned into one of arrogance.

She quickly jolted off the bed. Managing a squeak which slightly resembled the word bathroom, she ran to the room and once she'd safely locked the door, she buried her head in her hands.

Dear Merlin! How could she? She'd practically rubbed herself all over him last night! And this was after she'd made a point of how no-one would be climaxing behind their closed doors.

_Ugh, his bloody bonding scent!_ Hermione's disgust grew even further as the mere thought of his scent caused her body to start thrumming in attention.

She quickly stepped into the shower, letting the warm water fall over her face as more memories slowly came back to her.

_Oh, she'd acted like a sex starved hussy!_ Thank Merlin she had made Malfoy promise that he wouldn't have sex with her, regardless of anything she might say under the influence of his scent.

_And he'd actually kept his promise…_

She was oddly surprised and pleased. At least she could rely on him to keep a clear head- a fact that was only right since it was because of him that hers was getting so confused.

As she patted her body dry with a towel and moved over to the sink to brush her teeth, more memories revealed themselves and she couldn't help but pause at Malfoy's actions after she'd come down from her high.

_He'd been sweet._ He'd acted sweet to her before but she'd always been suspicious of his actions, believing him to be putting on an act.

But last night, he'd for all intent and purposes, achieved his end game.

_Her_.

Hermione blushed. She only wished his being sweet wasn't so embarrassing for her.

Good orgasms always had the power to send her into a sleepy stupor. She vaguely remembered Malfoy righting her clothes… and then cleaning her up with a warm towel…

_Oh Merlin!_ Her blush deepened further and she washed her face with cold water in order to settle her body temperature back down to normal levels.

And now it was time to face the rest of her day. Day one of married life.

Hermione frowned, not liking the title. She didn't feel married. And like most other witches, she'd dreamt of what her wedding day would entail. Blood and biting, no matter how intense an experience it may be, had never factored into the equation.

_"It is like a marriage." _That's what Fleur had said. _Like_ a marriage. So technically they weren't married. The thought made her feel slightly better.

Instead…they were Mated. And somehow, she had a feeling that the majority of the occupants in this Manor would find that a more momentous relationship than that of husband and wife.

_Husband…Mate? Should she start calling him Draco?_

Tentatively, she touched the ever present golden thread in her mind. She kept the contact short, but in the millisecond she held on for; she felt a wave of contentment rush over her.

Well, at least one of them was 100% happy.

She sighed as she studied her reflection in the mirror, her eyes looking over her flushed skin. Well at least one good thing had come from their mating; Malfoy's skin had lost its grey pallor and looked healthy again.

Harry and Ron suddenly popped into her head and Hermione dried her face with firm rubs of the towel.

_Dear Merlin- what was she going to tell people? _

She hadn't brought in a change of clothes and so putting on the jeans and shirt she had slept in, she walked back into the bedroom. Malfoy was sitting against the headboard, the duvet riding low on his hips and as Hermione followed the small trail of pale blond hair disappearing…_Dear Merlin, please say that he was wearing bottoms and she hadn't been lying on a naked man all night!_

"My Hermione likes what she sees." Malfoy commented.

Hermione jumped and averted her eyes as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Veela is glad his body pleases his Mate. My Hermione's body pleases Veela too."

Hermione fought the need to cover herself. She cleared her throat pointedly. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Malfoy frowned, "For what purpose? Last night was our bonding ceremony. No one will expect Veela and his Mate to come out of their room today."

Hermione flushed at the images his words brought to mind. _Merlin! When had her mind turned so dirty? _

She cleared her throat again. "I want to go and see Padma." She said in reply.

She saw Malfoy frown in puzzlement, "My Mate is embarrassed?"

Hermione said nothing, merely looking at him in silence. Malfoy pushed the duvet off his body and Hermione was glad to see him wearing boxer shorts. She belatedly realised just where she was looking and quickly shifted her gaze back to his face.

Malfoy climbed off the bed and walked over to her. She straightened her spine as he neared her, wishing that she was taller so she didn't have to tilt her head so much when she looked at him.

Her breath held in her chest as Malfoy's knuckles rubbed down her cheek, "Veela's Hermione has no reason to be embarrassed. Veela has waited ten years to hear his Mate's cries. They were sweeter than he could have ever imagined."

Hermione closed her eyes at his mortifying words. After she managed to stop her face from burning, she stepped away from him. "Right…well…I'm glad…for you…" she said stupidly.

Malfoy grinned before moving towards the bathroom. "My Hermione's friend is coming down the corridor." He said as he stepped out of sight. And then his head popped back around the doorway. "My Hermione will only invite the witches inside." He said before shutting the door.

Hermione frowned at his odd words but moved towards the door regardless. She pulled it open and stepped back at the unexpected group standing in front of her. Padma had her arm raised, as if to knock on the door. Blaise stood behind her, James to his side with Parvati in front of him. The latter two were glaring at each other and from the way their heads were turned and the angry flush on Parvati's cheeks, they'd just been arguing about something.

Hermione smiled. It was nice to know that not everything had changed.

"Oh Hermione!" Padma said in surprise as she dropped her fisted hand.

"Hi." She said before her smile turned into a frown at the broad grin James was sending her way. With his blood red eyes and shiny white teeth, he looked more than a little mad.

"Good night?" he asked casually.

Before Hermione could respond, Parvati elbowed him none to gently in the stomach and he sent her an annoyed glare. "Hit me again and next time, I'll reciprocate." He hissed at her.

Parvati rolled her eyes in response as she turned away from him.

Hermione frowned and she looked back to Padma and Blaise, evidently the most sensible of the four. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It's late and since no-one's seen you since last night," Padma began before her cheeks tinged in colour, "I came to see if you needed something to eat," she finished before lifting her other hand which contained two large muffins.

Hermione took them from her. "Thanks, I was just about to come-"

"I think you did that last night." James quickly interjected.

Hermione gasped at his words and then her mouth fell open as realisation flooded her. _Dear Merlin!_ How could she have forgotten there were people waiting outside their door?!

_She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear! _

"Rosier, you're such a bloody arse." Parvati snarled as she elbowed him audibly, her elbow hitting his stomach muscles with a crack.

"That's it, Patil!" James barked. One of his arms came to grab onto her arm and he twisted her around violently before hauling her up to his chest. His other arm retreated, its path intending to finish on Parvati's backside.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Padma snapped.

James snarled but obeyed Padma's orders by dropping his hand and letting go of Parvati's arm. The witch made a point of rubbing away James's touch with a disgusted expression on her face.

"Next time I'll kick you were it hurts! If I can find the area…" she muttered under her breath.

"And next time, little girl, I'll turn you over my knee." James hissed, obviously having heard her.

Parvati let out a frustrated screech, "I'm not a _little girl_, Rosier!"

"Stop it!" Padma scolded again.

Hermione couldn't help the smile from stretching over lips. Parvati grumbled but James looked like a puppy being told off by his Master. Once Padma had turned away from him, he sent a deathly glare to the back of Parvati's head.

Hermione was glad for their little spat. It had certainly helped divert the attention from her and Malfoy. At least for a little while.

All four visitors turned back to her.

"I was actually coming to see you," she told Padma.

The witch nodded before glancing around to face Zabini. She bit her lip before speaking softly, "Are you going to wait here?"

Zabini nodded and Hermione watched in wonder as some feeling entered his stoic eyes as they softened at Padma's words. From beside him, James made a noise with his throat and Padma looked at him. "Play nice," she said, directing her words to him.

James raised his eyebrows and grinned wolfishly in response.

Hermione stepped back from the door, making way for both sisters to enter but only Padma did. She turned back to look at Parvati.

The witch smiled. "I only came to satisfy my own curiosity. I have to get to work on seeing how our press release went down with the public. I'll see you guys later," and with that she walked away.

_…Okay. _

Hermione gave one last polite smile to Zabini and James before she turned around. Malfoy was just walking out of the bathroom, thankfully fully clothed this time to avoid any more embarrassing moments, and he glanced at their visitors.

Walking over to her, Hermione froze as she wondered on what he was going to do in front of the others. He must have sensed her reticence for public displays of affection as he merely stroked down her neck before lifting her wrist to kiss the tips of her fingers.

"Veela will wait for his Hermione outside of the door." He stated against her fingers before he dropped her hand and walked out.

Hermione stood still for a moment before she moved to close the door behind him. She turned to face Padma who was looking at Hermione with a stunned expression on her face.

"Merlin, Hermione. What happened between the two of you?"

Hermione sighed. She sat on the bed, waiting for Padma to follow suit before she explained everything- after making sure she'd placed a Muffliato charm on the room of course.

It took a long time. A _long_ time. A time in which Hermione voiced every fear, every hesitation and every question she'd had since waking up yesterday morning.

Padma didn't say anything for a few moments after Hermione finished. When she did speak, it had Hermione's head whipping her way.

"There had to have been something in the air last night."

"What?"

"…I kissed Blaise." She admitted in a quiet voice.

"_What?!_"

"It was last night, before my shift at the Ward. I don't know what happened. One minute we were talking and then the next he was close and then he started touching my face and the next thing I know, we were kissing." She rushed out in one long breath.

"So…did anything happen?" Hermione asked.

Padma quickly shook her head. "I haven't changed my mind. There's no way I can be his Mate. Not when there's the whole painful biting thing involved." She said, her body shuddering in a shiver.

Hermione flushed as she recalled her own bite.

Padma let out a frustrated groan that snapped her out of her thoughts. "I can't believe myself!" She said, slapping her palms on the mattress on either side of her body. "I don't want to talk about it," she declared before turning her head back to Hermione, "so do you know what you're going to tell everyone?"

Hermione slumped her shoulders. "I have no clue. I'm guessing everyone at the Manor knows what happened between the two of us?"

Padma nodded pityingly. "Sorry…"

Hermione closed her eyes at the inevitability. She took a deep breath before opening them again. "I don't know what to say. Fleur said that it was like a marriage but I can't think of him as my husband. Not yet anyway."

"…Can you think of him as your Mate?"

Hermione froze at the question she should have expected. It took her awhile but she slowly nodded her head. "After everything that's happened, it's not as if I can refute it anymore."

"So that's what you tell everyone."

Hermione laughed without mirth. "I don't think that is going to go down too well with Harry and Ron or even the rest of the Weasley's."

"You have time. You don't have to worry about them yet. The identity of everyone staying here is still confidential to protect us and Harry and Ron haven't been assigned duty here which means you won't be facing them anytime soon."

"But I'll have to tell them eventually."

"Maybe by that time Malfoy will have regained his memory? It might make things easier if he acts less, you know…"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know what's going on with his memory. I told you that his tests show that everything is fine. I thought in the beginning that he was maybe lying to me- that he knew I would want nothing to do with him if he was still the same Malfoy from Hogwarts but now…I don't know."

Silence descended between the two of them.

Eventually Hermione sighed, having grown tired of the conversation. She quickly changed topics. "Parvati mentioned a press release? It went out yesterday?"

Padma nodded. "In the evening edition so it would have the highest amount of readers. The Prophet was advertising the story the whole day."

"Do you think it'll do its job?"

"Hopefully it'll be a start. I don't think one press release is going to change anyone's minds though. The community need to see first- hand that the tenebris one can assimilate without being a threat. Articles in a newspaper, especially the Prophet, won't change their mind."

"Is that what Parvati said?"

Padma nodded. "She hates the fact that the articles will be running in the Prophet but her French paper doesn't have a high enough circulation in the UK."

"It's a start." Hermione said, repeating Padma's words softly.

"There's more. Parvati told me last night. She overheard Kingsley talking to one of the Auror's. Apparently the Muggle government is closing in on the people involved from their end. They managed to make one arrest but he's someone high profile and their media and justice system works differently to ours so they're finding it difficult to charge him without revealing everything about the Wizarding World."

Hermione frowned. "I would have thought the Ministry would be able to intervene?"

Padma shook her head. "The British Prime Minister isn't allowing it. He thinks this is the fault of the Wizarding world since someone from our world must have made the first contact with the Muggles involved and started the entire process. He wants to handle this alone with as little interference as possible from the Ministry. Although I'm sure the Ministry is ready with memory charms in hand should they need them."

"And Parvati _overheard_ this?"

Padma laughed. "Don't ask me how my sister can nose out information. I don't think I even want to know. But you can't tell anyone."

Hermione quickly promised she wouldn't.

"Good. If the tenebris ones found out that the Muggle government are being lenient to anyone involved, well then there would be no chance of proving to the Wizarding World that they aren't a threat."

Hermione grimaced. "James would not be pleased."

Padma agreed. "Unfortunately he wouldn't be the only one. There are others who feel the same way as him but they're letting James speak for them for now. They might get fed up with being able to do nothing in the future. And if that happens- I'm not sure if Blaise will be able to stop them from getting revenge."

Hermione's eyes widened at the information, "Why does it sound like things aren't going well between Zabini and James?"

Padma grimaced, "Probably because they're not. They can't seem to agree on anything…and since they both seem to be stuck to me like glue, I get the pleasure of hearing every one of their arguments…Well, James argues, Blaise refuses to rise to the bait which only makes James madder."

Hermione swallowed tightly, "I have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better."

Padma nodded, "Me too." She whispered.

Before they could discuss any further, there was a knock on the door and Hermione quickly moved to open it. All three men were standing side by side.

"The Healer has need for Mate and her friend in the Ward." Malfoy informed.

Hermione quickly turned to look at Padma over her shoulder. The witch was already beginning to stand from the bed, "What's happened?" she asked worriedly.

"There has been another rescue mission." Zabini said solemnly.

"It's bad?" Hermione asked hesitantly, her eyes flicking over to James who had his palms clenched into tight fists.

Zabini nodded and Padma quickly hurried over to Hermione. "Let's go."

Hermione closed the door and with Malfoy's palm heavy on the nape of her neck, the group quickly hurried to the Ward.

ooo

When Hermione opened the door to the Ward, she was expecting a scene similar to that of when she had first stepped onto Ward 17. But the room was oddly silent, other than a small huddle that had formed at the end of the room.

Both she and Padma quickly hurried over to the crowd and Hermione saw Healer Johnson and Healer Bentley both waving their wands frantically over the patient lying in the bed next to them.

It was only once they were close to the bed that they got their first glimpse of the patient. Hermione was struck still and Padma the same.

_Dear Merlin. _

The man wasn't someone Hermione recognised. But at first glance, she wasn't looking to see if the wizard was someone she knew. Instead, her mind could only catalogue the differences that his creature half had resulted in his human body.

The wizard's eyes were open, the pupils an eerily emerald green colour and they shone like they were made of crystal jewels despite the blank expression they currently showed. _And his skin_…there were shiny green blue patches embedded in dotted areas over his arms and torso.

It was obvious to Hermione what the rogue scientists had tried to splice his human DNA with. But the thought was so abhorrent…

Vampires, Werewolves and even a male Veela she could come to terms with…_But this…_

Horrified, she looked to Healer Johnson in confirmation. The wizard caught her eye.

He only needed to say one word but it confirmed her horrible suspicions.

"_Dragon_."

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_Author's Note: Cheers to all my lovely reviewers! You make being ill a lot more fun so the chapter is for you guys! __As always, I hope you liked it and thank you for reading! Until next time, Curiositykils. _


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

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Hermione couldn't blink.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't do anything else other than simply stare at the man lying in the bed a few feet away from her. For the first time in her life she'd been struck still in horror at the situation in front of her.

Morbid curiosity had her leaning forward in order to get a closer look at the man and she gasped at what she saw. The blue green patches on the wizard's skin were scales! They shone like glossy pearls and as the frantic crowd of medical staff and Aurors shifted around him, allowing the trickling sunlight to shine upon his skin, the scales reflected light all the colours of the rainbow.

_Dear Merlin_…What in Merlin's name had those scientists done to this poor man?

Hermione swallowed tightly, thanking Merlin that his face wasn't familiar to her. The thought of someone going through what this man had was horrific enough…but the thought of it being someone she had come across before was even more so…

"Healer Granger," Healer Johnson called and Hermione turned her head towards him numbly, "If you and Nurse Patil could see to the Aurors injured during the rescue mission?"

Hermione nodded her head automatically, her eyes still not removing themselves from the ward's latest patient. She flinched outwardly every time she heard his bones crack back in place but the man didn't even blink. In fact, his eerily emerald jewelled eyes showed no emotion at all.

_Had his mind broken? Had it moved to protect itself from the pain? _

"Healer Granger."

Hermione snapped out of her daze as Healer Johnson called out her name again. She flushed at being caught staring dumbly and she quickly muttered a sorry before looking around for her patients.

The line of injured Aurors were standing a few metres away, their wary eyes transfixed on the man they had just rescued. And it was obvious as to why their gazes were so wary. It was plain to see by the burn marks littering their arms and bodies and in one case, their face.

Burn marks…Fire…Dragon…_Dear Merlin._

He could breathe fire!

Hermione quickly twisted her head back to the patient, expecting to see him unleash a burst of flame that very second. Of course she saw no such thing. The man didn't waver once from his stoic reverie.

"I'll get the bandages," Padma whispered from beside her.

Hermione nodded automatically before she realised she had a job to do. Before Padma could take two more steps, she called out what potion she would need and Padma nodded once to show she had heard before she hurried over to the store.

Taking in a deep calming breath to clear her hand, Hermione focused on the job at hand. Glancing over all her patient's, she assessed their burns and injuries before walking over to the Auror she deemed to be the priority case. The Auror in question had burn marks on her upper chest, her black Auror robes singed and frayed and as Hermione neared, her nose wrinkled at the burnt smell they were still emitting.

Leading the Auror to a bed, she asked the patient to remove her outer robes as she waited for Padma to return. She didn't have to wait for very long. Padma walked briskly towards her, her dark eyes narrowed as she inspected the wounds she would be treating, her arms full of small vials of Murtlap Essence and rolls of bandages.

Hermione unburdened the witch. "Can you give each of the other patients a few drops of pain relief potion? Their burns must be painful." Hermione told her.

Padma nodded at the instruction, half turning to follow Hermione's orders before she hesitated. Hermione asked what was wrong non verbally by raising her eyebrow and Padma moved to explain.

"The store isn't very full…and Pain Relief Potion in particular is running low." She informed.

Hermione frowned at the information before her eyes flicked towards the line of patients. Though their eyes were still on the part dragon, their unharmed hands and fingers clutched near their injuries, pain showing clearly in their tensed white knuckles.

She debated the ups and downs of temporary numbing charms in her head before making her decision. "Temporary numbing charms then."

Padma nodded and moved over to the line. Hermione placed a quick privacy charm around the immediate area and after the Auror had removed her shirt and lowered the straps of her bra, Hermione got to work on soaking the burnt skin with Murtlap Essence.

She worked quickly and efficiently however her mind buzzed with worry as she looked over at the small vials of Murtlap Essence and then the long line of injured Auror's waiting to be treated.

Merlin, would there be enough potion to go around? Her eyes flicked nervously to the part dragon. She prayed fervently that Healer Johnson and Healer Bentley didn't prod him in the wrong way and cause him to wake from his current blank daze.

They most certainly didn't need any more burns being inflicted before the day's end.

"What happened?" Hermione asked the Auror she was healing.

The Auror shook her head, "I have no idea. He was the only prisoner in the lab and everything seemed fine. We were in the process of detaining the scientists when he woke and in the next second there were flames everywhere."

"He breathed fire?" Hermione asked, wanting first hand confirmation of the disturbing fact.

The Auror bit her lip, "I wasn't facing his way when the flames surrounded us. But he must have breathed them through his mouth…if his DNA had been spliced with dragon DNA then how else?"

Hermione didn't answer, spending a few moments concentrating on tying the Auror's bandages. She stepped back when she'd finished and the Auror quickly re-dressed. With a thank you and smile, the witch stepped through the privacy shield and Padma sent in the next patient.

Hermione quickly followed the same procedure she'd just carried out, asking the Auror to undress before she removed the temporary numbing charm, assessed his injuries, soaked them with Murtlap Essence and bandaged them up.

It was the same monotonous healing for the next two and a half hours.

And not once did the part dragon move a single muscle.

ooo

The day's plan for the Ward was thrown out of the window after the latest rescue by the Aurors.

The other patients on the Ward were antsy at the latest tenebris one being under their roof, not being able to determine his threat to them and so they huddled and congregated in their packs.

Vampires with vampires. Werewolves with werewolves. Many patients changing form unconsciously into their animal counterparts, as if readying for any imminent attack.

Once Hermione had finished with her patient's, she and Padma started on the usual rounds of the existing patients on the Ward.

Though Malfoy, Zabini and James had remained outside of the Ward's closed doors, every so often she felt Malfoy touch her mind through their linked golden thread.

She felt oddly touched at his frequent checking in to see if she was well, being able to feel his worry coming through their link. In response, she made a conscious effort to send calming waves back at him to tell him that she was fine.

She was pleasantly surprised that he hadn't burst through the doors and demanded to shadow her every move. A small part of her mind told her that it was because she was now bonded to him. After all, isn't that what Zabini had said a while back? In Malfoy's mind, their bonding ceremony ensured her fidelity to him. He probably wasn't worried now about any other wizard poaching her feelings for him.

Hermione jerked at the question that entered her head. _What would happen if she didn't remain faithful to Malfoy? _

She flushed guiltily at even pondering the thought. Not that she would ever cheat on Malfoy. She was slowly coming to realise that their lives were now linked irrevocably. The idea seemed less abhorrent as each day passed…but she still knew so little about him. And she didn't want to potentially use their golden connection to find out the answers to her questions. It felt like an invasion of privacy. _She_ certainly wouldn't be pleased if Malfoy somehow found a way to go snooping in her mind for information.

"Healer Granger."

Hermione turned around to face Healer Johnson. The elderly wizard looked older than he had a few hours ago and she flicked her gaze back to the patient he had been treating. The man was still lying blankly in his bed, his eerie eyes still unblinking.

"How is he?" she asked, "_Who_ is he?"

"The Aurors are still trying to determine his identity." Healer Johnson answered. "He does not carry the Dark Mark on his forearm and so they are going through the records of the remaining prisoners. It shouldn't take much longer to find out who the fellow is."

"He's still unresponsive?" she queried.

Healer Johnson nodded. "It is possible that his mind has retreated. His scans are all negative other than the ones for the injuries we have been treating."

Hermione bobbed her head at the information, noting the similarity to her own earlier thoughts. Even though the fact had been confirmed, she still felt the need to query it once more. "Dragon DNA."

Healer Johnson turned his eyes on her, "I'm afraid so."

"How is it even possible…" Hermione wondered.

Healer Johnson sounded disgusted, "Who knows what horrors they have been doing in their supposed labs. It is times like this that make me wish the death penalty was still in force. The Dementor's Kiss seems the only fitting punishment."

Hermione hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his statement.

The other Healer shook his head, clearing away the dark thoughts before he looked her in the eyes. "How are things progressing between Mr Malfoy and yourself?" he asked.

Hermione quickly took to the change in subject but she blushed at the possibility of the older man knowing what had occurred between her and Malfoy last night. "Well." She answered simply.

Healer Johnson nodded singularly. "I came to tell you that if you wish to then you may take your lunch break. Now that things have quietened down again, I don't suspect we will need you until your planned shift tonight."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. She was starving, having been too busy catching Padma up on the drama between her and Malfoy to eat the muffins she'd brought up for her. She glanced around for Padma and Healer Johnson must have realised who she was looking for.

"Nurse Patil left a few minutes ago."

Hermione nodded once before she said her goodbyes and moved towards the exit. When she opened the door, she saw Malfoy standing alone on the other side. As soon as he caught sight of her, he stalked up to her, his expression displeased.

"Mate is hungry." He stated, his voice containing more than a tinge of anger. Before Hermione could say anything, he continued, "My Hermione did not eat the fare her friend delivered this morning," he said accusingly, "Veela can hear Mate's stomach needing nourishment."

And with that firm telling off, he grabbed hold of her wrist and began storming down the corridor, no doubt heading towards the kitchens. Hermione was forced to half run to keep up with Malfoy's long strides and when it became evident that she wasn't walking in a pace quick enough for him, he stopped, looked down at her in a scrutinising manner before he bent at the knees, his arms wrapping around her waist as he lifted her straight up off her feet.

Hermione let out a squeak at the action, her arms banging at his shoulders in a bid to get him to drop her back down. When he carried on stalking down the corridor, making no move to let her go, she grew even more annoyed. Gathering every ounce of what she was feeling in her head, she touched the mental thread and sent it barrelling his way.

She waited to hear his response and she felt it through their connection before she heard it.

_Laughter! He was laughing at her!_

Infuriated at his response, she mentally untouched the shimmery thread with a huff…but it wasn't before she felt a powerful wave of joy coming from him. The lightness of his feelings travelled through her and went some way to cooling down her anger. And so she merely sighed and thanked Merlin that the corridor seemed empty and no one else would see the two of them.

Underneath her chest, Malfoy's chest still vibrated as he chuckled. "Veela is pleased his Mate is so amusing."

He'd said the words before and Hermione merely rolled her eyes in response. It was only when she tucked her chin into her neck that she allowed a small smile to pass over her lips.

ooo

"Tell me about you and Rose." Hermione asked as she dozed lightly against Malfoy's side. She felt his claws pause slightly at her question before they resumed their previous ministrations of stroking through her hair.

Hermione knew she should move. But the feeling of his hands running over her scalp felt too good for her to worry about how comfortable she was growing in Malfoy's presence.

"What does Mate wish to know?"

Hermione shrugged lightly, the movement causing her to sink deeper into Malfoy's side. She waited in silence for him to reply.

Earlier on in the day, when they'd entered the kitchen for lunch- or should she say when Malfoy had _carried_ her into the kitchen- Hermione had been mortified to realise that Padma, Blaise and James were all already occupying the room.

As Malfoy had dropped her back down onto her own two feet- and after she'd whacked him none too gently on the shoulder, although she had a feeling that had hurt her knuckles more than it had his shoulder- she'd caught sight of James's wide grin and Padma's small smile. In an effort to hide her rapidly heating cheeks, Hermione had resorted to hiding her face in the refrigerator as she rooted out salad and chicken in order to make some rudimentary sandwiches.

When she'd been able to face the threesome again without her cheeks burning up to resemble the tomatoes in her hands, she and Padma had made plans to eat outside on the grounds in order to make the most of the autumn sunshine.

They hadn't been able to wander too far due to Zabini's vampirism, along with his express orders that Padma remain in his eyesight, an order that was seconded by James and then reiterated by Malfoy. And so the two witches had settled on the grass fifteen metres away from the three wizards who'd chosen to remain guard in the shaded entrance of the Manor.

She and Padma had eaten their lunch in comfortable peace, occasionally asking the other the questions they hadn't quite got around to asking that morning before they'd been interrupted and it had been during this time that Hermione had caught sight of Rose walking up the grounds towards them.

Hermione had frozen upon catching sight of the witch, readying herself for any possible reaction since it was the first time they were coming face to face after her and Malfoy's "bonding ceremony".

Her mouth had suddenly gone dry at wondering what the other Veela would do…But all she'd received was a quick look before the witch had turned her head and hidden her face behind a curtain of pale blond hair.

But a quick look had been enough for Hermione to catch sight of her expression. One of complete and utter anguish. Not pain. Not hurt. _Agony_.

As the witch had hurried past her, Hermione hadn't been able to stop herself from twisting around to see how Malfoy would greet her. Rose had no doubt caught sight of his hovering body as she walked to the entrance and when she'd climbed up the steps, she'd stopped to greet him. And then she and Malfoy had proceeded to have an inaudible conversation but a conversation nonetheless.

Hermione hadn't had known what to feel as she'd watched the two of them converse. A part of her had been pleased at the polite way in which Malfoy seemed to be treating her with but another part of her wanted to amble over to them so she could hear just what was being said.

Hence her question to Malfoy at the present time.

"Veela was with the female in the laboratory. He protected her from the humans who did this to the tenebris ones."

His brief answer didn't tell her anything new and Hermione wasn't sure how to ask him what she really wanted to know.

"…It was just the two of you for a long time. Did you ever talk?" she asked instead.

"Sometimes. When Veela and the female Veela were not drugged by the potions and were left alone the witch liked to talk. Veela would listen to her. She talked of her family. Missing them."

Hermione tilted her head up so she could meet Malfoy's eyes. "Her family?"

"Her sisters. Her mother. She would wonder what they would look like as time passed. If they had found their own Mates."

Hermione found her chest panging at what Rose must have gone through and she dipped her head back down, suddenly feeling guilty at trying to find out information about the woman behind her back. She sometimes forgot that the female Veela was the only one who had actually been kidnapped from her own life, and not from Azkaban.

_Is it any wonder she had formed such a strong connection to Malfoy? _

Her thoughts then drifted back to the conversation the two of them had had in the Manor's atrium. Not wanting to think of that jealousy fuelled tête à tête, Hermione shook her head, clearing her memories of the unfortunate event whilst simultaneously ordering herself to get back to the focus of the conversation.

"You talked about finding your Mates?"

She felt Malfoy nod when his chin brushed against her temple. "Veela talked of finding his own Mate," he began saying as he hugged her closer to her side, "how she would feel…smell…how Veela would protect her and keep her safe."

Hermione found herself smiling into the side of his chest. "I bet you didn't think you're Mate would be someone like me…"

One of Malfoy's claws reached out to lift her chin back up again and the look in his eyes seared her own. "Veela is most pleased with his Mate. My Hermione is more lovely than what Veela could ever have dreamed of."

Hermione felt herself blush, strangely pleased at his words. She may not think herself to be as gorgeous as Rose was in the looks department but evidence suggested that she wasn't lacking by any margin…

"The female Veela would talk about finding her own Mate. She would talk often about her wish for children."

Hermione's head jerked upwards. "…Children?"

Malfoy nodded and Hermione tried not to tense up at his side. All thoughts of conversation about Rose were swiped away with that one word. She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "What about you? Did you- think about children I mean?" she asked in a purposefully light voice.

Malfoy's response was instant, a smile blooming across his face. Hermione's stomach caved in as he shifted position so he was leaning over her, his hand coming to rest low over her abdomen. He stroked over the area heavily.

"Veela would dream of his Mate swelling with his child." He said softly.

His response wasn't exactly what Hermione was looking for but she would most certainly take it. At least he wanted kids!

_Thank Merlin!_

For once, they were actually on the same page!

She smiled. "I was an only child so even when I was a young girl I always dreamed of marrying and having lots of children."

"Marrying?" Malfoy said, a frown on his face.

Hermione nodded hesitantly, briefly explaining the apparently foreign custom to him.

His response had the smile slipping off her face. "Veela and his little Healer are already bonded." He said dismissively, as if a wedding was unnecessary.

Hermione froze when she heard the words, every image she'd ever had of her father walking her down the aisle whilst she wore a white wedding dress being obliterated away.

The pad of Malfoy's thumb swept over her furrowed eyebrows and Hermione closed her eyes. "This is important to my Mate." He said slowly.

Keeping her eyes shut, Hermione nodded twice.

There was silence for a moment.

"My Hermione does not feel bound to Veela?"

Hermione could tell he'd tried to restrain the anger in his voice but his words still came out in a low pitched rumble. Sighing, she opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. "Mated, yes. Bound… yes. But married…no."

Malfoy _did not_ look pleased. He lifted her up in one swift motion until he was sitting with his back to the headboard, Hermione straddling his thighs, her breasts mashing against his chest.

"Then Veela and his Hermione will get married."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise at his fierce proclamation. "…You would be willing to get married?" she asked, still not believing it.

Malfoy nodded firmly. "Veela and his Hermione will get married."

Hermione smiled as she slumped against him. "Thank you…this means a lot to me…and my family."

Malfoy nodded once again and Hermione dropped her forehead back down to rest against his shoulders. Her thoughts slowly drifted off, the image of her in a white dress slowly reforming.

Around her, Malfoy's arms tightened, embracing her in cozy warmth.

"Yes. Veela and my Hermione will marry tomorrow."

Hermione froze.

_Wait- what?_

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter but a huge thank you to Peytonkmc who made two manips for the fic (a first for me!). The links are on my profile page so please check them out! The next chapter is going to be a biggie- you'll no doubt hate me but love me at the same time since I'm making quite a few wishes come true...but of course, it comes at a price! As always, thank you so much for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	22. Chapter 22

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

* * *

Hermione recoiled back in shock but Malfoy's tight hold around her waist meant he didn't let her get very far. With wide eyes she studied his face before coming to the slow realisation that he was being perfectly serious.

_He wanted them to get married tomorrow! _

The thought had her letting out a startled burst of laughter. It quickly trailed off when she felt Malfoy's fingers dig into her waist as his pale eyebrows knitted together in a frown. And then she could only stare at him for a few short moments as her mind played catch up.

"We can't get married tomorrow!" she eventually burst out in an incredulous high pitched voice.

_Merlin was he crazy!_

At her tone of voice, Malfoy's fingers dug in further and she shifted uncomfortably as she silently studied his expression.

He did not look pleased at her declaration.

"Why not?" he asked in a steely tone.

She watched the curve of his jaw come into view as he undoubtedly clenched his teeth together. Quickly, she flicked her gaze back to meet his.

"Because…_it's a wedding!_" she said before floundering on how to explain it to him. "…We can't just decide one day to get married and then have the wedding the next day!" she tried to explain.

"This wedding…it takes more than one day to perform?" he queried.

Hermione frowned, not knowing where he was taking the conversation but she shook her head in the negative.

"Then why can Veela and his Hermione not marry tomorrow?" he demanded in a petulant voice.

Hermione let out a groan of frustration. _It was like talking to a child!_

"_Because!_ It takes time to prepare everything you need for a wedding. There's the clothes, the venue, the food." She listed as she ticked them off on her fingers.

Malfoy didn't look put off upon hearing her extensive list. "Veela and Hermione can get married on the grounds and eat the food in the kitchens. Mate can wear the clothes Veela has seen her wear previously."

Hermione knew just which pair of clothes he was talking about and she couldn't help but let out a tinkling laugh. "I'm not getting married in the shorts and camisole I wore when you were sniffing at my skin!" she told him, a wide smile stretching her face.

Malfoy's eyes flared. "Why not? These are Veela's favourite of Mate's clothes."

Hermione snorted at the information. She had a pretty good idea of just why! She looked him straight in the eyes before speaking in an overtly sweet voice. "Did I forget to mention that there are guests at a wedding?"

That changed Malfoy's tune pretty quickly. Underneath her, she felt every muscle in his body stiffen immediately. "Mate will not wear her little clothes at our marriage." He told her in a no nonsense tone.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his response. She had a feeling that would have changed his thoughts on the matter.

She watched with a small smile as he continued muttering under his breath. Most of what he was ranting about passed over her head but she thought she heard him mumble something along the lines of "Mate's body belonging only to him."

A part of her protested at the possessive tone but she quickly hushed it down since it was making her win the conversation. When his muttering eventually died down, she spoke again, "So you see…we can't just get married. There's no way our guests would get permission to pass through the Manor's wards."

The tension seemed to seep out of Malfoy's body but it didn't help the pout on his face from disappearing. The arms around her shifted and Hermione gave into his pull, slumping back against him before shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Anyway," she continued, "I'm fine with knowing that the possibility is there in the future. I don't think I'm ready right now anyway- we're still only getting to know each other."

Malfoy's claws weaved through her hair and he used the tangles in his fist to tilt her head upwards to face him. "Mate is not _ready_ to tie herself fully to her Veela?"

This time it was Hermione's turn to stiffen. She swallowed, mentally warning herself to tread carefully.

"Aren't we already tied to each other?" she asked, trying to deflect his question.

Malfoy studied her intently with narrowed eyes. "In Veela's eyes, yes. But in his Mate's?"

Hermione tried to lean back and remove her head from his hold but his tightening fingers nixed that idea.

She sighed audibly. "Yes…I think we're tied...but physically. I don't think we know each other well enough yet to form a proper emotional connection, despite this mind link we seem to have now. Until that happens, until you remember who you were, I don't think I would feel right getting married."

Malfoy growled and she felt the vibration echo underneath the ear pressed against his chest. "Veela's Hermione is always wanting Veela to leave and this _Malfoy_ to take his place." He said in a disgusted tone as he spat out his own name.

Hermione frowned and looked up at him. This time when she tried to move her head, she continued to pull against his hold and when he saw her wince as her scalp twinged slightly in pain, he quickly unwrapped her hair from around his claws.

Using his shoulders for support, she lifted herself until her face was directly in front of his. It was a move he often employed on her and whilst she normally responded by not being able to do anything else but look at him, Malfoy refused to meet her gaze. Hermione moved her hands to his cheeks and twisted gently until he eventually gave in and turned to face her.

She looked him deep in the eyes. "I know you're worried about regaining your memories. But you don't have to be. It's not as if remembering who you were is going to change anything that's happened between us," She said before swallowing, readying herself for what she was about to say next, "…It's not going to change any feelings I might have for you."

He didn't respond verbally, choosing to do so physically instead. And he did that by moving forward and smashing his lips against hers in a deep kiss. For what seemed like a few very short minutes, their lips and tongues played and nibbled with each other and when Malfoy eventually detached his lips from hers, Hermione couldn't do anything but keep her eyes closed and suck in gasps of air to relieve her burning lungs.

She shivered as she felt his lips graze her ear.

"Mate…" she heard him whisper in her ear.

"Hmmm." Was the only response Hermione could grace him with at the moment.

She felt him move until his teeth captured the lobe of her ear and held it in his hold for two seconds, "My little Healer…"

Another shiver. "Hmmm."

"…Your Veela is hungry."

Hermione's eyes popped open and her mind flooded with images from the night before.

He continued hotly and she squirmed in his lap. "Will Mate allow Veela to take from her what he wishes?"

Hermione swallowed nervously before she answered, "...Yes."

ooo

Over a hundred miles away in Muggle London, a black haired man cupped his hands under the bathroom tap, watching stoically as the water pooled in his palms before he brought them up and splashed the liquid across his face. Bringing his head up, he studied his expression in the mirror as the clear rivulets of water slid off his chin and landed on the bathroom floor.

He swallowed tightly, steadying his breath by breathing in through his nose and out of his mouth.

This was it.

It had come to this.

Eleven years of living in the lap of luxury after making a deal with the devils and it was all about to end. Well, for him at least.

Wiping his face with violent swipes of the soft towel and with lead in his shoes, he unlocked the bathroom door and stepped outside. His wife just happened to be walking up the stairs and she looked at him with a frown when she saw him wearing his suit.

His fingers worked quickly to close the buttons of his jacket, hiding what needed to be hidden from his wife's eyes.

"Why are you wearing a suit again?" she asked as she neared him.

When she was stood in front of him, he brought up a hand and tucked her hair back behind her ear. Her hair was tied up in a lopsided ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a tomato sauce stained T-shirt but she had never looked so beautiful to him.

His reward to his tucking away motion was the smile he was graced with. His head quickly bent to taste it.

"I have to go back to work." He told her once he'd finished, his words hitting her lips.

"But you only just got home? And it's a Friday." She said her words heavy with questions.

He sighed, kissing her once again in a silent apology. "I know, but something's come up."

He heard his wife's familiar sigh. His work…or what she perceived his work to be had caused friction between them for a long time. Ten years in fact.

But living in comfort came at a price.

"What time will you be home?" she asked as she stepped away from him.

He swallowed, fighting the urge to pull her to him and not let go. "It'll be late…"

The look on his wife's face indicated that she didn't like his answer but she didn't fight it. "Okay." She sighed again.

He gave her a forced smile, leaning in for one last kiss before he turned and headed to his kids bedrooms. His little princess was first and when he walked into her pink themed room, she was already sound asleep under the covers.

He walked over to her quietly, bending down beside her as he traced the apple of her cheek lightly. She shifted at the movement and before he did anything to fully wake her, he gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head before he tucked the quilt back up to her chin.

His son was next and he braced himself, knowing this would be more difficult. As he neared his son's room he could hear the faint sounds of a football match trickling through the door.

He pushed the door open and walked in, his son's eyes wrenching away from the television screen for a short second in order to acknowledge his presence with a smile before they were glued back to game.

"Still up?" he asked as he walked over to where his son lay on his bed.

"Mum said I could watch until it finishes." came the reply.

He sat down beside his son, curving an arm around his shoulder until his son's weight fell fully against his side.

"Who's playing?" he asked, feigning interest to keep his mind off the fact that this was probably the last time he would feel his son's weight against his side.

"Arsenal vs Man U. A friendly."

"Who's winning?"

"Man U." came the unhappy reply.

The man smiled. "Arsenal will come back in the second half."

His son nodded before he tilted his head up to look at him. He looked into clear blue eyes…his wife's eyes…and struggled not to break down.

"You're going to work?" his son asked with a small frown appearing on his forehead.

He nodded. "Just for a little while. There's something I have to do."

"You have to take me to football tomorrow morning. Mum's taking Jess to Rainbows." His son told him.

He felt a cry catching in his throat and he knew that he needed to leave. And so he merely nodded before standing from the bed. He bent to give his son's head a goodnight kiss but the boy barely acknowledged it, his attention fully back on the game playing before his eyes.

He quickly straightened and left the room, knowing he couldn't delay any longer. As he made his way down the stairs, he heard his wife laughing on the telephone, no doubt jabbering away with one of her four sisters. He was thankful that her attention was diverted and knowing he wouldn't be able to face another goodbye, he merely called out one, waiting to hear his wife's preoccupied "See you later, honey" before he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

His car unlocked with an automatic beep and he got in before taking a deep breath. He had quite a drive in front of him and he needed to have his head fully fixed on his shoulders. As he backed out of the driveway and took one last look at his house, familiar thoughts entered his head.

They were one's he'd had throughout his entire life but they had been reoccurring more recently, especially in the last six months.

_What if_ everything had been different? _What if _he hadn't taken that deal- thinking at the time that it was the best thing for his wife and their future family? _What if_ he'd got out a long time ago before everything had gone to shit?

But the main question?

_What if he hadn't been born a squib? _

ooo

Hermione's eyes slowly opened but the rest of her limbs refused to move. They felt so heavy and lazy. _What had happened?_

The instant she asked the question, she received the reply in her head and she groaned out loud at the answer.

_Merlin- she had acted like a sex starved hussy again! _

Her chest began wobbling as Malfoy laughed underneath her. No doubt her thoughts were being broadcasted right into his head. Her eyes closed as she continued to hear his mirth and she mentally berated herself for having no willpower against his bloody bonding scent.

She had told herself, no- she had _promised herself_ that the next time Malfoy fed, their bed would be an orgasm free zone. After all it was hardly fair on him if she asked him not to take any sexual pleasure from his feeding whilst she continued to do so.

And yet here she was, once again sprawled all over him after waking up from her usual orgasm induced coma. With embarrassed eyes, she lifted her head in order to face him. He was looking down at her with a pleased expression plastered across his face, his eyes twinkling in amusement as he rested his slightly raised head on one crossed arm behind his head.

Hermione actually felt the need to apologise for acting so shamelessly, Merlin- she had lost all semblance of control by rubbing all over him like a cat in heat, but Malfoy got there first. His free hand traced the curve of her cheek.

"Mate does not need to feel embarrassed."

Well, that answered the question of whether or not he had felt her feelings.

She gave him a half smile in apology, "I hadn't planned on that." She told him as she lifted herself up off him. Thank Merlin, she was still clothed. A quick check to see if her jeans were still zipped and buttoned and her shoulders slumped with relief when she discovered they were.

She turned back to face Malfoy- who was still lounging somewhat smugly- before her gaze flicked over to the window and she took in a sharp breath when she realised how dark the sky had gotten.

Their room itself was dimly lit, the bed only being bathed in light coming from the bedside lamps and she quickly looked around for her wand.

"Merlin, what time is it? I have a shift at the ward!" she asked Malfoy as she twisted and turned.

Spotting her wand sticking out from under her pillow, she had nearly finished waving it in order to discern the time when Malfoy spoke lazily.

"It is still early. My Hermione still has three quarters of an hour before she needs to be at the Ward."

His words were confirmed by her spell and she slumped down in respite. "Thank Merlin."

"Mate will eat before she goes to the Ward." Malfoy ordered firmly.

Hermione eyed him, debating if she should argue with his decree when her stomach rumbled. She hoped he might not have heard it, momentarily forgetting about his sharp hearing but she was reminded of it when he lifted an eyebrow arrogantly.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, she shifted off the bed and made her way to the bathroom. After quickly using the facilities, she exited to find Malfoy waiting for her by the door.

"Does Mate wish to eat now?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. After spending most of the afternoon lazing around in bed and napping for a few hours, she still felt steeped in sleep and she knew she needed to wake up if she was going to get through her night shift.

"Maybe after a small walk? I'm still feeling sleepy; hopefully some fresh air will wake me up."

Malfoy nodded and as she walked over to him, he twined his fingers with hers before leading her out of their room and down the stairs.

When they stepped out onto the grounds, the fresh air hit Hermione's face with a whoosh and she breathed in deeply, smelling the faint scents of grass and earth. Lightly skipping down the steps, they both walked in silence, heading in the direction of Padma and Parvati's cottage.

Hermione had yet to move Crookshanks into the Manor with her and Malfoy, mainly since they were still waiting to see if the Auror's could find them a larger room. In the meantime Padma had offered to put out Crooks's food every morning, saying it was no problem. But that didn't mean she didn't miss seeing him and cuddling with him every day.

As they neared the cottage, she realised Parvati was home through the light shining in the sitting room and as soon as the witch had opened the door, Crookshanks came zooming out to meet her, purring loudly as he twirled around her ankles.

Hermione lifted the cat to her face, cooing at him as she snuggled her face in his soft fur. It was only when she heard his sharp hiss that she lifted her face from his fur and turned around with a frown on his face.

Malfoy was studying her cat curiously and Hermione looked down at the feline, wondering if Malfoy was the one Crooks was hissing at. He let out another snake like hiss and Hermione's frown deepened.

The question must have been written across her face as Parvati laughed in reassurance, "Don't worry; I'm sure he and Malfoy will be fine sharing you. He's been doing that for the last fifteen minutes, maybe it's a hairball?" she said as she waved for Hermione and Malfoy to come inside.

Hermione turned the cat so he was looking at her, her worry not abating. After so many years, she knew what the moggy sounded like when he had a hairball and the hiss like sound he had just been making was not it.

Malfoy shut the door behind her and when the cat wriggled in her arms, Hermione dropped him to the floor. He immediately ran towards the window, easily climbing up to the windowsill, his front two paws stretching up until he was stood up against the glass.

He let out another hiss and Hermione walked over to him. She peered out of the window, wondering what he was looking at but other than the odd Auror on the edge of her vision, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Lifting him away from the window, she ignored his squirming as she settled down on the sofa, curling Crooks in her lap. She rubbed the spots that she knew from experience would send him into a kitty stupor but not even that was enough to comfort him from whatever was bothering him.

After ten seconds of stroking he leapt down from her lap and ran from the room.

Hermione turned her head back to Parvati and smiled, "Well, I only came to see Crooks but it seems he has better things to do." She laughed off.

Parvati smiled. "No offense, Hermione. But your cat has always been a little strange."

Hermione laughed out loud at the comment. "He is that." She said, agreeing.

"I'm sure he'll be fine once he's moved back in with you. Do you know when you're going to get that larger room you were promised?"

Hermione shook her head, "I don't think it's one of the Auror's priorities at the moment. They have more important things to worry about than shuffling things around so Malfoy and I have more room."

Hermione watched Parvati's eyes flick above and behind her head to where Malfoy stood. They quickly looked back down to meet hers again.

"Hmmm. I heard about the latest patient on the Ward. I was hoping to interview him but Healer Bentley refused."

Hermione hesitated with how much information to give the inquisitive witch. Too much would be breaking her Healer's oath but she had a feeling that if she gave too little, Parvati would go digging elsewhere. "He's still recovering from his injuries. Maybe in a few days?"

Parvati didn't look pleased at the delay but she nodded her head in agreement. "I just want to write the next press release soon and the more information I can give to the public, the better in my opinion."

Hermione breathed in. "Yes, Padma was telling me about the press release... and the Muggle arrests."

Parvati's face twisted in a grimace. "Don't even get me started on that. I'll be ranting all day on the injustice of it all."

Hermione smiled at the passion in the witch's voice. "Well, Malfoy and I best be off. I have a shift tonight and I still need to get something to eat."

"You can eat with us if you want." Parvati offered. "Padma just sent me a message to say the ward's really quiet so she's getting off early. She'll be here soon and I just put the pasta on, I can easily boil some more."

Hermione thanked her for the offer but shook her head, "I'll just grab something from the kitchens, I still need to change." She said as she stood from her seat.

"Alright," Parvati said as she stood to see them out, "You'll probably see Padma on your way back up."

Hermione nodded her head, opening the front door. With a loud meow that startled Hermione, Crookshanks darted around her legs before zooming out into the semi-darkness.

"I'll leave the window open so he can get back in." Parvati told her.

Hermione thanked her friend before she and Malfoy left. They were a quarter of the way into their stroll back up to the Manor when Padma and her ever present two shadows came into view.

Hermione smiled, waving an arm before she was pulled to a stop by Malfoy. Puzzled, she looked up to see him studying something in the distance. She turned her head in the direction, spotting the figure of a man walking towards them.

"It's just an Auror," she told him, dismissing the man as she turned her attention back to Padma.

Malfoy's hand tightened around hers and she gasped as she felt him squeeze her fingers together painfully, "Malfoy!" she choked out.

"He is dressed differently."

Still too busy on trying to remove her hand from Malfoy's crushing grip, Hermione only muttered a distracted "What?" to his half heard words.

She took in a tight breath of air as her bones ground together, "Malfoy, you're hurting me!" she breathed out.

Malfoy's head whipped down to her and it took him a further second to let go of her fingers. Hermione brought the pained digits up to her chest as she tried to ignore the pulsing pain running through them.

_What in Merlin's name? _

"Is my Mate unharmed?" he asked from above her bent head.

_Of course she wasn't bloody unharmed! He'd crushed her fingers together! _

She didn't reply and Malfoy asked her the question again, albeit in a firmer tone.

She was halfway through grudgingly telling him that she would be fine when three loud, ear splitting bangs rang out.

Instinct had her dropping down to the floor, her ears ringing loudly from the noise and she dazedly wondered if her eardrums had burst.

Adrenaline had her heart thumping wildly, her eyes open wide but seeing nothing.

_What in Merlin's name had that been!_

And then she heard it. A horrendous pain filled howl, so loud it echoed around the open area.

Her head shifted around to where the howl had originated and her eyes landed on a slumped body lying prone on the floor.

"PADMA!" Zabini yelled, dropping to his feet, his vampire teeth glinting in what light there was.

Hermione registered the scene in front of her, piecing together the information until the next yell came from her.

"No!" she yelled out. Somehow she managed to lift herself up on her stumbling legs before she began running over to the witch.

"MATE!" she heard Malfoy call.

Another round of three shots rang in the air and Hermione heard a wolf like wail of pain.

_James…_

With her feet still running towards Padma, her head unconsciously turned towards the side, trying to seek out the man who was apparently shooting at them with a gun and when she caught sight of him, she froze.

Because the nozzle wasn't pointing at the still wolf lying on the grass a few feet away from the man. It was now pointed right at her.

An explosive growl reverberated around the area before Hermione's vision went black as Malfoy's wings curved around her, covering her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. With her vision obscured, Hermione only heard the running steps towards them.

_The Auror's…_

She slumped back against Malfoy's chest in relief before tensing once again at what she heard.

"Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!"

Hermione gasped in a short breath before she screamed out. "It's a gun! It's a gun! Not a wand!"

From the continued shouting from the other side of Malfoy's protective barrier, it seemed the Auror's hadn't heard a single word she'd said.

"No!" she cried out again. "IT'S A GUN!" she screamed even louder. More shots rang out and her hands jerked to reach for her own wand. She fumbled with it before gripping it firmly. "ACCIO GUN! ACCIO GUN!"

The spells shot out of her wand before disintegrating when they met Malfoy's wings. "Malfoy! Move your wings! Move your wings!" Hermione shouted at him.

He refused to budge and then she heard two more shots. Malfoy's animalistic shriek of agony was the first thing she heard…but it was only when she felt a searing pain in her abdomen and looked down to see blood soaking through her T-shirt that she realised she'd been shot too.

_And she was still standing in Malfoy's protective cocoon. _

She studied the growing stain of blood before her numbly. A few moments passed before she remembered she was a Healer and she was still holding a wand in her hands but by then it was all too late. It was with slow motions that she felt herself fall to her knees and then to her side until she was lying on her back, looking up at Malfoy's shocked face hovering over hers.

He looked so worried and she tried to tell him something- anything- but the wind was being knocked from her lungs. And then she struggled to breathe in to replenish the empty cavities.

_Why couldn't she breathe?_ She needed a Healer. Malfoy needed a Healer. Padma needed a Healer.

"MATE!" Malfoy yelled down to her.

Her eyes crossed as his head descended down close to hers. From the movement of his mouth, she could tell he was still roaring at her but his voice wasn't as loud as it had just been. In fact, nothing seemed to be as loud.

_What was happening? _

"Mate! My Hermione! No! Failed! Veela has failed to protect his Mate! My Hermione!"

She stared into his anguished black eyes as he lifted her and shook her but her eyelids felt so heavy.

"Failed my Mate! Weak! Veela was not strong enough!" Malfoy still roared softly from above her.

Hermione forced her eyes to open again. She looked back into his gaze before something in her blurry mind clicked in confusion.

_Grey…Why were Malfoy's eyes grey?_

He was still looking down at her with shock but she felt her body slip out of his hold and land back against the cool grass.

"Granger?" she saw his mouth form.

Her mind grew even more confused and fuzzy. Malfoy had never called her Granger before. She was always "Mate" or "my Hermione" or "my little Healer".

"_Malfoy._" She managed to whisper before her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.

"…Granger! Granger!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Why hello Mr Malfoy- how lovely of you to come out and play. I could be nice and tell you if Hermione survives but I figure I've been nice enough and granting wishes is exhausting. I'm sorry the chapter took a while to write, I kept getting distracted by planning my summer hols (something which quite a few of you might know already). But flights and hotels have all been booked now which means two things. First the good news, any readers in Singapore, Indonesia and Australia, if you see a tourist looking crazy as she snaps away with her camera, it's a very good chance it'll be me! The bad news- there will probably be no updates during that time (the month of June)! I'm pre-warning you now! As always, thank you for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	23. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

* * *

Blaise Zabini's mouth was watering. All he could see was red- the red spells flying around him, the red spots hazing his vision…the red blood seeping from his Mate's prone body…

Despite his mind screaming at him to do something- _anything_- to save his Mate, he couldn't help or contain the intrinsic response of his vampire teeth straining out of his gums, tingling in excitement at the feast laid out in front of him.

"DIDI!"

Blaise's head jerked upon hearing the pain filled cry of horror. He watched from the corner of his eye as his Mate's twin ran towards the two of them like the hounds of hell were dogging her feet. She came to a sharp stop beside his crouched body before she fell limply to her knees. Tears were coursing down her cheeks and shock had her body trembling finely as she cried for her sister to awaken.

Blaise turned his attention back to Padma before closing his eyes in order to block out the sight of her blood. It helped only slightly as the unrelenting waves of her blood scent continued to hit his sensitive nose. Pulling in deep breaths of air through his mouth so he wasn't inhaling any of the sweetness his body was telling him to take, he fought until the red blotches dotting his vision receded.

His teeth cracked as they gritted together in struggle and it took a few tense moments for him to finally calm his mind down. It was only then that the solution came to him.

_Time. _

He needed time. Padma needed time. The Auror's were still battling around him, trying to catch the intruder instead of tending to the injured and the blast of fluorescent sparks from their wands stung his eyes as spells ricocheted around him.

Blocking out the commotion, he bent his head, focusing solely on Padma.

With strong fingers he grabbed handfuls of the Healer robes she was wearing and in one swift motion he tore them clean down the middle. As her wounds were revealed to him, the dark red blood now calling to him even more since he could see it flowing freely from her body, he took in one last lungful of air through his mouth before he held his breath.

From beside him, the cries of distress from his Mate's twin had increased as she too took in Padma's wounds. The witch's hands came to Padma's shoulders in a futile bid to shake her awake. All her actions did was to cause more blood to seep from Padma's wounds and without thinking of checking his actions, Blaise shooed the witch away.

He didn't care as she flew backwards five feet in the air before landing on the ground with an audible thump.

Closing his eyes to steady himself further, his teeth began minutely straining towards the blood they desired and the skin they craved to pierce.

_Merlin let him save his Mate. _

With one last hesitation, Blaise gave into temptation. Swiftly descending his head, he made directly for one of two wounds, licking a path right over the area.

His Mate's blood hit his tongue and his taste buds exploded with her unique flavour. His second lick came even more quickly as did his third. The more he tasted the more his teeth yearned to sink into her flesh but Blaise controlled the innate impulse with everything he had.

He had to seal his Mate's wounds. Not puncture her further. _That time would hopefully come soon…_

He continued tracing his tongue over her open skin, pleased that the coagulants in his saliva seemed to be working in knitting her lesions back together again.

Vaguely he became aware of Parvati's hysterical screeches of revulsion as she laid blow after blow on his back and head.

"Bloody hell Zabini! You monster! Get off my sister!"

Another blow on his back. Followed by one to the side of his head.

"She's dying! We have to get her to the Ward!"

This time her blow landed directly on his eye socket and a burst of pain radiated out to the edges of his skull. In automatic response he growled low in his throat in warning. He must have got his point across as when the red faded from the edges of his vision, the witch was staring at him in horror.

He could only imagine what he must look like right that second.

_His Mate_, his mind reminded him.

Quickly he turned his head back down, moving to the second wound on her stomach in order to close it. He had only given it his attention for a few seconds when he heard another loud bang echo around the wooded area. Instinctively, the creature within him jumped and shifted until his body was covering that of his Mate's. He heard a feminine scream and yanking his hand out, he grabbed hold of Parvati and pulled her towards him.

She landed against him so hard that Blaise heard the whoosh of air leaving her lungs but instead of giving her time to adjust and regain her balance, he simply shoved her down to the floor before altering his position so he was partially crouching over her too.

His Mate would not be pleased when she awoke to find her sister had been harmed too. And his Mate _would_ wake up.

Her Vampire demanded it so.

ooo

James Rosier lay on his bed at the ward and watched the scene playing out in front of him with a detached eye. His own wound was already well on the way to healing. The wolf in him had worked its muscles until the piece of metal he had been struck with had been expelled out.

In the fifteen minutes it had taken his body to rid itself of the pellet and begin to stitch his skin back together, the battle he had jumped up to re-join had been over. There was still an air of franticness around the area but the human who had somehow breached the Manor's wards was no longer present.

James had glanced around the area and it was then that he had turned his head just in time to catch sight of the Vampire's face as he'd lifted a comatose Padma up in his arms before using his inhumane speed to rush her back to the Manor.

_Fierce possessiveness. _

Looking at them now, James didn't know what to feel. He had recognised that there was always a possibility that the witch might have belonged to the Vampire but deep down he had thought that there would be a reason as to why he felt what he did for her.

It was different to the normal attraction a human might feel for their partner. This was consuming. Whilst he had been in the lab he'd had images come to him in the dead of night of what his Mate would be like…_feel_ like.

Whilst her physical features had always been blurry, he had reacted immediately when he had seen Padma at Ward 17. Everything about her felt… _familiar _and from that day forward, hers was the only face he saw.

Every time he imagined kissing his Mate, it was her face.

Every time he imagined claiming his Mate, it was her face.

Every time he imagined taking his Mate, it was _her_ face.

Her face beneath him. Her face twisted with sweet agony as he wrenched every ounce of pleasure he could from her body. Her face being the last thing he saw before he allowed sleep to wash over him, his Mate's sated body held tight in his arms.

All those dreams had now been ripped away from him and as he watched Zabini talking to a Healer on the other side of the Ward, one had firmly clutching his Mate's; James suddenly knew what it was that he felt.

_Loss. _

How…_Why_ would he have those dreams? _Why_ would he have grown so attached to a witch that was never meant to belong to him?

He closed his eyes in order to block out the remainder of the Ward's occupants. He didn't want to be here any longer. He would heal perfectly well alone in his own room than sat on this bed the Healer's had confined him to.

Having made the decision to leave, he shifted his body to the side and stood from the cot. Ignoring the calls from the good Healer about him moving, James ignored the slight twinge on his side as he strode purposefully towards the Ward's exit.

He made sure to keep his eyes averted from both Zabini and Padma.

The ward's doors opened just as he reached them and James froze as he stopped himself from hitting the witch stood in front of him.

The realisation hit him a second before a wave of incontrollable lust he had never felt for Padma shook him to the core.

_No…It couldn't be…_

He stared into the witch's red, blotchy eyes before she pushed past him, hurrying over to her twin's side. James remained frozen on the spot. His mind suddenly began going back through every dream he had ever had…only this time the eyes looking back at him weren't the soft, warm ones he had thought he'd wanted.

They were eyes that spat fire.

They were eyes that called to the alpha wolf lurking inside of him, daring him to assert his dominance and tame his Mate into submitting to him.

An image of him doing just that nearly had him howling with desire. Before he could inadvertently do or say anything else, he quickly walked away from the room.

_Fucking hell, why him?_

ooo

Draco Malfoy didn't have any idea what was going on. The last thing he remembered was battling with the darkness around him, fighting to get free from the black room he'd been contained in and the next thing he knew, the door had been flung open and as soon as he'd stepped through it, he'd found himself in a forest, Granger lying in his arms as a dark, coppery smelling stain spread across her jumper.

He'd been so shocked he'd dropped her body in surprise. _What in Merlin's name was he doing holding her? Was this real? What had happened? _

He watched in alarm as Granger whispered his name before her eyes closed and something inside him began to panic.

"Granger? Granger!"

Belatedly he realised the havoc that was occurring around him. A streak of green sparks narrowly missed his head and he bent down quickly, covering his own head as well as Granger's body with a raised arm.

_Merlin, what the fuck was going on? _

Raising himself up, he studied Granger's pale face. Instinct had him searching for his wand but it wasn't in any of the pockets of his unfamiliar clothes and he resorted to blindly yelling out for help. His panicked gaze went from stranger to stranger and as he watched the scene in front of him, his panic only deepened.

Merlin's balls- vampires…werewolves…sharp teeth…red eyes.

He looked down at Granger's unconscious body, his arm reaching down in order to clamp around her shoulder and he shook her violently.

"Fuck Granger! Wake up! We have to get out of here!"

She remained unresponsive but he couldn't find it in himself to leave her. So far she was the only familiar person he'd seen…

"Granger!"

When she didn't respond, Draco shifted his hands, one arm going underneath her neck whilst the other hooked underneath her knees. Lifting her slight weight more easily than he thought was possible, he stood before looking around.

Without his wand he couldn't apparate away and the only possible destination was the Manor he saw in the distance. Without wondering if he was making a mistake, he lifted Granger higher up on his chest before running towards the residence.

The Manor's doors were thrust wide open when he arrived and he wasted no time in entering into the atrium. Seeing that the chaos from the grounds had extended into the Manor, evident by the frenzied motions of everyone rushing around him, Draco could only stand in the middle of the pandemonium, searching for someone who could help.

From in the midst of all the sound, he thought he heard his name being called and when he turned his head to where the sound had come from, he caught sight of a beautiful witch with pale blond hair and clear blue eyes running up to him. He frowned as he watched her approach him, not recognising her instantly.

_Had she been the one who had called out his name?_

She answered his unspoken question by speaking, "Merlin, Draco. Your Mate- we must get her to the ward!"

_His Mate?_

Before he could question her on her words further, she had turned on her heel and was running up the stairs. Making the obvious assumption that she wanted him to follow her, he did so numbly, staying silent as he meandered around the Manor's numerous occupants. He tried not to stare but he couldn't help himself when he caught sight of a group of wizards with wolf like faces.

_What in Merlin's balls had happened to them?_ They weren't like any of the werewolves he'd encountered during the War.

"Here, put her down on that bed. Healer Johnson!" The blonde witch cried.

Draco turned his head at the word Healer. _Thank Merlin…_

He watched an elderly wizard catch sight of him before his eyes flicked down to Granger. The man immediately rushed over, his wand outstretched and ready. As he reached Granger's bedside, Draco took a few steps back so the Healer got the space he needed to work.

Draco needed Granger to wake up…She knew who he was…She was the only familiar and after spending so long alone in that dark room, familiar was safe. It was comforting.

"Dear Merlin…" he heard Healer Johnson mutter under his breath and Draco's head snapped towards Granger's injuries, "Healer Granger? Can you hear me?"

Draco startled upon hearing the wizard's words. _Healer Granger?_

The wizard started waving his wand over Granger's body frantically and Draco stepped back further. He stopped when he felt a small unfamiliar hand land on his back. Twisting his head to the side in a sharp jerk, he saw the blonde witch looking at something on his back with a horrified expression.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide, "You're hurt!" she gasped out.

Draco frowned. "What?" he mumbled as he shifted in a bid to see just what the witch was looking at. Now that he thought about it, his back was twinging slightly.

"You're bleeding! There's blood all over your shirt!" the witch exclaimed.

With his right hand, Draco reached up under his shirt and around to his back, expecting to feel some sort of wound similar to Granger's but as he ran his hand down the smooth skin, he felt nothing.

"I- There's nothing there." He told the blonde.

She didn't look like she believed him and he was proved right when her own hand reached out to lift his shirt up so she could see his back for herself.

"I don't understand…It's your blood- I can smell it."

Draco stepped away from the witch, his brow furrowed at her strange words. She could _smell_ that it was his blood? "Excuse me but do I know you?"

Now it was the witch's turn to step away from him. Her mouth opened and closed in surprise a few times and when she did manage to speak, it was in a whisper.

"_Draco?_"

When he didn't reply, she exhaled loudly, her arm reaching out to tightly clutch his.

"Draco? It's me…it's Rose…" she said in a beseeching tone.

Draco frowned. The name seemed vaguely familiar and now that he studied the witch's features closely, he thought he might have seen her in passing somewhere before.

"I'm sorry but I don't recall you from Hogwarts." He told her in a polite a tone as he could muster at that moment.

Her hold on his arm tightened, her nails beginning to dig into his skin uncomfortably. He looked between her hold and herself pointedly but she didn't get the hint and let him go. Instead she pulled her hand until it was resting against her chest, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"I wasn't in Hogwarts with you...Draco it's me…_Rose_…I was with you for ten years." She ended on a whisper.

Draco snatched back his arm. _Ten years? _Ten years where? He'd only been in Azkaban for a few months...before he'd entered that dark room he couldn't escape from.

_Had he been in there for…ten years?_ No- it wasn't possible!

He looked away from Rose and flicked his gaze back over the Ward. He stopped when he caught sight of a familiar looking figure and he nearly slumped in relief.

He knew the back of that head. _Thank Merlin._ He was just about to step towards the man when he turned around. Draco's eyes dropped down and he stopped still when he latched onto the wizard's elongated sharpened teeth.

_Bloody hell…Zabini? _

_What the fuck had happened to him?_

He watched as his former friend strode over to the bedside of a witch lying unconscious much like Granger was.

On second look, Draco recognised the dark haired witch but before he could feel pleased at spotting someone else he knew, no matter how vaguely, he stiffened as a thought entered his mind.

Patil…but was she still the same witch he briefly remembered from Hogwarts or was she now something else too?

"Mr Malfoy?"

Draco turned back to the Healer.

"I've managed to stabilise Healer Granger but she still remains unresponsive. I feel it might be too jarring if I use a spell or potion to reawaken her. Perhaps using your mental connection might be more appropriate."

Draco frowned, "Mental connection?"

"Yes." Healer Johnson replied simply.

Draco paused and couldn't help but emit a small burst of surprised laughter at the thought of him and Granger having any sort of connection let alone a mental one.

He told the Healer so but the wizard continued to look at him in confusion until Rose spoke from beside him.

"He doesn't remember." She told the man.

Healer Johnson turned back to face him. "I do not understand. You have regained your memories?"

Draco looked at the man. "I wasn't aware I had lost them." He said before he was reminded of the fact that the last thing he remembered was being in his cell at Azkaban.

"_My Merlin_." The wizard breathed before turning back to face Rose. "You mean to tell me that Mr Malfoy does not remember he is a…" he said before trailing off.

When he didn't finish his sentence, Draco glanced back to Rose in time to see her shaking her head. He gritted his teeth at the silent conversation they seemed to be having.

"I don't remember I'm a what? What is going here?" he demanded.

He saw Healer Johnson swallow before he spoke hesitatingly. "Mr Malfoy, I don't know how to tell you this…but you are now a Veela."

It took a moment for the wizard's words to sink in and when they did; Draco's first reaction was to laugh off the man's words.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm not a bloody Veela." He said with his lips still curved up into a disbelieving smile even as his forehead frowned at the words.

When he saw he was the only one smiling, his expression soon changed to one of disbelief.

_The man was being serious! _

Draco glanced around the room, his eyes once more settling on the myriad of creatures around him. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

He couldn't be a Veela for Merlin's sake. Wouldn't he know? _Wouldn't he feel it?_

Healer Johnson clearing his throat caught his attention. The wizard's kindly eyes now shone with sympathy. "Come with me Mr Malfoy. Miss Cottilard and I will try and explain."

Draco swallowed tightly, trying to keep the bile from rising up his throat. With one last glance at Granger, he followed the Healer and blonde as they led him further into the Ward.

One thought ran through his mind. It was whether or not he wanted to hear what they were about to explain to him.

For the first time ever he found himself thinking it might have been best if he had never managed to escape from his black room.

ooo

Cole Blackthorn watched with purposefully blank eyes as the Healer who had treated his broken body walked past him with the male and female Veela following closely behind him. He might not have moved a muscle from his hospital bed since he'd arrived at the Manor but with his heightened dragon senses, he'd heard exactly what had occurred on the Manor's grounds.

He'd heard the loud bangs and the following screams. He'd even heard the Aurors discussing where they had taken the injured intruder. And it was then that a plan had begun forming in his head.

He knew he would have to move soon. There was no knowing how long the Aurors would keep the man on site and there was a poetic justice to the plan in his head.

After all, they had given him this life. It was only right that they end it too.

* * *

_Author's Note: I cannot believe the response I got to the last chapter! You guys rocked my socks off! Thank you so much! This chapter took a little longer to write than I had planned but life has been so busy in the last few weeks. After 9 months, 13 days and a mammoth 28 hour labour, my beautiful niece finally decided to join the world and I've spent way too many hours cooing at her. Hours which should have been spent working on my dissertation whose deadline is in just over two weeks. Eeek! I'm aiming to give you at least one more chapter before I go on holiday but I can't promise anything! I will try my best! I hoped you liked this chapter. I thought I'd write a one off from the guys point of view to shake things up a little. As always thank you so much for reading and until next time, Curiositykils. _


	24. Chapter 24

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

* * *

The Ward was dark when Hermione Granger woke up. And it was quiet…eerily quiet. It took her muggy mind a few seconds to wipe away all the shadows and to wobble her stiff jaw around in an effort to pop her blocked ears.

She succeeded in the endeavour thirty three seconds later but even then, the only sound that seemed to hit her ears was a constant low murmur.

As she blinked away the heavy grittiness in her eyes, they became accustomed to the dimness and when she finally tilted her head to the side, her gaze landed on a familiar figure.

It was only then that a rush of memories inundated her.

The mysterious man with the gun. Padma getting shot. James getting shot. Dear Merlin, she and Malfoy had been shot too!

Her eyes darted back to the figure sitting slumped in the chair next to her bed. She roved her gaze over his body but other than his eyes being shut, he didn't seem to fit the bill of a man who had just been shot.

Doubts entered her own head and underneath the thin white sheet covering her body, her hands shifted up and down rapidly until they bumped into the bandages around her middle.

So she wasn't wrong in her recollection. Wetting her dry lips, she managed to croak out his name.

In his chair, Malfoy's body jolted visibly as he sat up straighter, his grey eyes looking over her face in relief.

_Grey eyes_…Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" she whispered again.

The look of relief on Malfoy's face deepened. "Thank Merlin you're awake. I'll go and get a Healer."

And he was up from his seat and striding away from her before she could question him any further. For the next minute or so, Hermione waited impatiently for Malfoy to return and she spent the time alone lifting her head up as far it would go as she looked over the remainder of the patients in the Ward.

She took in a tight breath when she saw Padma in a bed on the other side of the Ward. Thankfully the witch was awake and half reclining in her cot. Zabini was sat on the bed next to her, his back fully flush against the headboard with Padma leaning heavily against his side.

Hermione didn't know what to think when she saw the two of them in such an intimate position. Her eyes couldn't help but dart around the area in an effort to spot if James was anywhere in the vicinity. When she couldn't find him, Hermione turned back to the other couple and simply watched as Padma's lips moved slightly before Zabini responded, his lips moving with apparent ease around his fully distended teeth.

"Healer Granger! Mr Malfoy told me you were awake."

Hermione dropped her head back down onto her pillow before she turned her chin in the other direction. She smiled weakly as Healer Johnson walked up to her but her gaze drifted straight back to Malfoy.

Questions spun around her mind but Healer Johnson was speaking before she could voice any of them. With a lot of effort, she turned her attention back to him and listened as patiently as she could as he informed her of her injuries, the spells and potions he'd used to treat her wound and how much longer she would be in the Ward.

Not for too much longer thankfully. She knew that technically her body was clean, the usual Scourgify spell that the Healer's used regularly would have seen to that, but she still felt in desperate need of a shower.

"…and of course with Mr Malfoy coming back to join us well-"

Hermione gasped audibly. "-You've remembered?" she asked, excitement making its way into her voice.

At her question both Malfoy and Healer Johnson got uncomfortable looks on their faces and Hermione frowned. She swallowed tightly, "Malfoy?"

"Yes Granger, it's me." Malfoy replied.

Her mouth fell open in surprise, "How? _When?_" she choked out in quick succession.

She watched with annoyance as Malfoy and Healer Johnson shared yet another uncomfortable look before they both turned back to her. She looked at Malfoy pointedly for an exclamation but it was Healer Johnson who supplied her with one.

"I'm afraid Miss Granger that the situation isn't as simple as Mr Malfoy regaining his memories or not. To answer your second question, Mr Malfoy regained his "memories" last night."

Hermione confusion deepened. Whilst Healer Johnson hadn't included any air quotes when he spoke the word memories, the enunciation made it clear they were there.

_What was going on?_ Feeling on edge, she tried to sit up but her arms shook at her sides, not yet being able to bear her weight after lying limp for well over 24 hours.

Malfoy and Healer Johnson both stepped forward to help her and when she was settled firmly against the pillows, she turned her "do-not-mess-with-me-I-want-answers-right-now" stare on both the wizards standing in front of her.

Malfoy responded by coolly gazing back at her, her stare having no apparent effect but she felt a little better when Healer Johnson shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"What do you mean he regained his "memories?"" she asked firmly.

Healer Johnson smiled hesitantly, "It seems that Mr Malfoy now knows who he once was…but the last thing he remembers is being in his cell in Azkaban…before he was taken to the rogue lab."

Speechless and with wide eyes, Hermione turned back to Malfoy. He stared back at her and when she still hadn't spoken after a few long seconds, his blond eyebrows rose.

"Surprise Granger… or should I say _Mate?_"

Hermione continued with her gaping. "…Dear Merlin…you don't _remember?_"

"You mean being taken from my cell and tortured for ten years before somehow changing into a Veela?" he asked sarcastically in one long breath. In the next second he managed to catch himself and his body stiffened. Hermione watched him with a sinking feeling developing in the pit of her stomach as he shook his head before shooting her a semi apologetic look.

"No, I don't remember anything from the last ten years." He answered courteously. "Thank Merlin apparently." He muttered under his breath, a brief lost look appearing on his face before he once again shook it away.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk." Healer Johnson offered before he quickly vanished.

Hermione watched him go, physically biting her tongue to prevent herself from calling him back. When he'd disappeared from view, Hermione flicked her eyes nervously back to Malfoy. His stance made it seem as if he wasn't the least bit awkward with his relaxed pose and his hands shoved into the pockets of his robes…but Hermione could easily spot the panicked shadows bubbling away in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak but she came up with nothing. _What in Merlin's name did she say?_ _How did she act? How did she treat him? Was she supposed to ignore the fact that in the last three days he'd made her orgasm twice?_

The errant thought had her cheeks flushing with warmth and Malfoy's eyes narrowed at the colour no doubt rising on them. He stepped forward and sat back down on the chair, dragging it forward until it was even closer to her than it had been.

"Healer Johnson wasn't able to fill me in on everything. He had to get back to the patient's…and he said that it might be better if I spoke to you when you eventually woke up."

Hermione found herself nodding her head. Malfoy continued to study her intently and she raised her hand to her hair self- consciously. Her fingers snagged in the curls and she untangled her fingers quickly before fisting the much safer option of the sheets by her side.

"So you really remember nothing?" she asked again in a quiet voice.

Malfoy shook his head. "I remember being trapped in a black room with no door."

Hermione frowned, "A black room?"

Malfoy seemed to struggle on how to explain whatever he was trying to. "It wasn't a real black room." He said, his head still shaking from side to side, "I see that now. More of a mental one… but something kept me trapped in there."

"…_Trapped?_"

Malfoy nodded. "I tried escaping but there was nothing I could do to get out. I didn't even know until yesterday that ten years had passed since I'd been in there."

Hermione bit her lip, not wanting to ask the question running through her mind but helpless to do anything else, "_Something_ was keeping you in there?"

Her grasp on her lip sharpened at the look that fell over Malfoy's face. For the first time since she'd "met" him again, she saw a shadow of the boy she had once known in Hogwarts.

"_He_ was keeping me in there. This…_monster_ inside of me." He said with a pronounced sneer, his voice dripping with disgust.

Hermione mechanically rushed to defend Veela. "I'm sure it wasn't like that…he wouldn't do that. Not when he knew how important it was for you…_him_ to remember his previous life."

_Dear Merlin, this was going to get so confusing… _

Her words were followed by a snort of derision from Malfoy. "I know if was fucking _him_. And do you know why Granger? Because twice he dropped his fucking guard and I saw _you_."

Hermione jerked in surprise in her bed. "_What?_"

Malfoy shook his head once more. "It was only brief glimpses and only of your hair when you were sleeping on him…on me. I didn't realise until yesterday that the hair I'd seen was yours."

"…I don't understand. I thought you said you were trapped in this room?"

_The more impertinent question she couldn't help but ask herself was how she had not known or figured out that her Veela was purposely keeping Malfoy from coming out?_

"The two times it happened, he was feeling relaxed. When the walls to the black room partially disintegrated and I was able to step out, I could feel what he was feeling."

Hermione couldn't help herself, "And what was he feeling?"

"Content…At peace."

Even though Malfoy spoke with a scoff, Hermione couldn't help but feel pleased at his words. But then the other side of her mind popped up and sharply reminded her that Veela had apparently been lying to her all this time.

Malfoy continued, "When he was in bed with you, he was relaxed enough to forget for a moment to keep his defences against me up. But the second he felt me emerging, he would shove me back into that room again."

Hermione felt guilt begin to dance in her stomach. She remembered the things she'd told Veela on how badly Malfoy had treated her during their school years and she could almost understand how he might have felt the need to keep Malfoy from her…he had been overly protective of her from the beginning and the thought of him protecting her from even a part of himself was becoming more and more feasible.

But that didn't explain why he had kept Malfoy in the so called "black room" for ten years.

Hermione tasted blood on her tongue from where her nervous biting finally broke skin. Her gaze flicked back over to Malfoy uneasily. She knew she should say something about how some of this might be her fault but she simply couldn't…and so she kept quiet.

Her tongue made another swipe across her bottom lip, the metallic taste hitting her taste buds before she realised with a start that Malfoy was simply continuing to sit in the chair at her bedside.

The fact caused a painful pang to spread through her chest.

Malfoy was unaffected by the small sight of blood that must have been on her lip. He was unaffected by the blood scent that Veela would have smelled half a second after she'd split her skin.

Which meant her Veela really was gone…

Unexpected waves of pain began to wash over her. _He was actually gone…He'd left her…_

There would be no more arguing with him…no more trying to explain things that were obvious to everyone but him…no more cuddling up to his side in bed…no more of him stroking his claws softly through her hair, lulling her into sleep…

There would be none of that.

Dear Merlin, in between all the fights and the arguments and the coma inducing orgasms, she'd gone and fallen in love with him.

And now he was gone.

"Granger? Are you okay? Shall I call Healer Johnson again?" she heard Malfoy question in a worried tone.

Swallowing the bundle of tears she could feel building up in her throat, Hermione quickly shook her head.

"I'm fine…" She choked out, not being able to meet Malfoy's eyes.

His grey eyes…No more seeing those pools of heated black ink anymore...

There was silence for a few minutes as Hermione gathered herself and Malfoy let her. The quietness was only broken when Malfoy spoke softly. "You…cared for him?"

The question held more than a touch of disbelief and Hermione could only bring herself to nod before she turned her head away so he wouldn't be able to see the tears gathering in her eyes.

Mercifully Malfoy sensed she needed some time as he merely cleared his throat and bent his head to look at the floor.

Eventually she was able to turn back to face him again. She cleared her throat to indicate she was ready to talk again and Malfoy lifted his head back up to her upon hearing the sound.

Hermione swallowed tightly. "…Can you feel him inside of you?" she asked.

Malfoy shook his head once, "No."

"…Oh…"

"…Granger…Healer Johnson didn't exactly explain much about me and you…I mean you and him. He just said that you cut your hand in the Ward and I woke up from my coma claiming you as my Mate."

Hermione nodded once to indicate the fact was true.

"He said that in the time we've been here at the Manor we've…you've grown close."

Hermione nodded again slowly and she heard Malfoy sigh.

"Look Granger, I know you've just woken up after someone somehow blew a hole in your body…but I need more information than that. I need to fill in the gaps before I drive myself crazy thinking about how I've lost ten years of my life. What exactly happened between us?"

Hermione looked at Malfoy, not even knowing where to start or even if she could make it through telling him everything without breaking down.

"Okay…how about I ask the questions." Malfoy stated, "Have we slept together?"

"No!" Hermione yelled out.

She felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment as she realised her shout hadn't just turned nearly every eye on the Ward her way…but that every ear had probably been on them from the beginning.

She wasn't sure if Malfoy was aware of the fact and she quickly pointed it out. She watched his eyes dart around the Ward before they landed on Zabini.

"Maybe we should talk about this when we're alone?" Hermione pointed out, relief hitting her chest at the thought of a reprieve, no matter how short it may be.

The lost look appeared on Malfoy's once again and Hermione's relief was instantly replaced with guilt. She couldn't help but put herself in his shoes and she realised how awry she would feel if she was in his place. _How many questions she would have…_

"The Muffliato charm." Malfoy said.

"Pardon?"

"You still have your wand. Place the Muffliato charm around us. That works on them doesn't it?" he asked with a cock of his to the other non-human occupants in the room.

Hermione briefly entertained the idea of saying no but in the end she couldn't. She reached out to grab her wand which was lying on her bedside table and with a deep sigh; she placed the charm around them.

And then she began explaining everything that had happened from the minute she'd stepped onto Ward 17.

With Malfoy's interjecting questions, it took nearly half an hour to fully explain everything that had occurred between Veela and herself. Of course she had kept quiet about her losing all of her inhibitions and rubbing herself against him when he'd been drinking from her throat but she'd had no choice but to tell Malfoy about their first and only kiss since it'd been such a pivotal moment.

Hermione had half expected this old Malfoy to look horrified at the fact that they'd kissed but he only stared her in the eyes before unconsciously dropping his eyes down to her lips. The action had not just surprised Hermione but it had left her feeling more than a little uncomfortable. She suddenly became very aware of the fact that whilst her Veela may have disappeared somewhere, his broad body was still only two feet away from her.

"So Zabini's a vampire now?"

Hermione nodded her head, glancing back at him and Padma. The witch was now asleep, her head pillowed on Zabini's chest and just as Veela had done to her, Zabini's fingers were fiddling with ends of Padma's thick braid.

Yet another painful pang spasmed through her body but thankfully Malfoy seemed to miss it.

"So I'm the only Veela?"

"Right now yes. You talked a couple of times about there being another male Veela with you when you were first in the lab but he was taken away. I don't know if he's still alive or not. Or even if there are others that have yet to be rescued. But there seem to be more vampires and werewolves."

"And more men." Malfoy stated.

Hermione nodded. "I'm can only speculate as to why. Hopefully we'll get an answer now that they've caught the gunman but I suspect it's to do with the fact that the scientists wanted the prisoners to breed. Mixing and splicing genes may have adversely affected a woman's reproductive system which would go against their plans."

"Right…breeding…the blonde from earlier."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that and she most certainly didn't know how to deal with the faint stirrings of jealousy she felt.

Rose had fallen in love with Malfoy in the lab but it had only been Malfoy's Veela side that had rejected her and thus kept them apart. Rose's own Veela seemed to be too damaged to understand that she needed to find her own Mate and so where did that leave the three of them?

Rose was a beautiful witch and her human half was already in love with Malfoy. Was Malfoy now free to date as he pleased?

_Everything was so confusing…Where did she stand now?_

Hermione shifted her position, a small flare of pain spreading through her side. Time for her next pain relief potion it seemed. And then she gasped, her arm reaching out of its own accord and clutching at Malfoy's.

"Dear Merlin, how could I have forgotten- you were shot too! Are you okay? Your wings!"

Malfoy looked between her hand and her face. "The blonde said that too but I'm fine. There was blood on my robes but no mark on my skin. My back did feel a little painful but it's fine now."

Hermione wanted him to lift up his shirt so she could see that fact for herself but she could hardly ask him that and so she forced herself to let go of his warm hand and simply nod. "When Veela disappeared… his wings must have retreated too, I suppose." She commented.

Once again she had no idea just what that meant. Was Veela now in the black room, in pain and alone in his self-induced isolation? Hermione remembered enough of what he'd been shouting when they'd both been shot on the grounds…how he'd howled at the fact that he'd failed to protect her.

_Is that why he'd retreated now? _

_Was there a way of getting him back? By showing him that she was fine? _

_Did Veela coming back mean Malfoy would be shoved back inside the black room to take his place? _

_How could she ask that of Malfoy when he'd already lost ten years of his life? _

The thoughts and questions ran in a loop around Hermione's mind until she felt the beginnings of a headache build behind her eyes. She suddenly felt very tired and shared the fact with Malfoy.

"I'm sure you don't want to be sitting here in that uncomfortable chair whilst I'm sleeping" she told him. "I'm sure Healer Johnson won't mind showing you to the room we've been staying in if you ask him?"

Malfoy shook his head firmly. "No offense Granger but with werewolves and vampires and Aurors and Merlin only knows what else roaming around the place and with you being the only familiar face I know, I think I'll stay here."

Hermione looked over his face, the vulnerability shining through as she slipped down and laid her cheek against the pillow. She could certainly understand where he was coming from and so she merely nodded her head in acceptance. "Okay…Malfoy, I'm sorry." She found herself whispering before her eyes began closing.

And just before sleep claimed her, she heard Malfoy speak, "You have nothing to feel sorry for Granger. Go to sleep."

The order made her smile sleepily and the last thought she had was of her bossy stubborn Veela.

ooo

Three hours later saw Cole Blackthorn roaming around the Manor. In the havoc that had followed the situation on the grounds, it had been surprisingly easy for him to slip out from his bed and leave the Ward. Whilst the Manor was filled with many Aurors, none seemed to bat an eyelid at his presence outside of the Ward thanks to the robes covering his scales. To them he was just another former Azkaban prisoner. A vampire or a werewolf- neither of which could fly.

And so in the dead of night, when Cole unleashed his dragon in order to soar up to the room in which the Aurors were holding the black haired prisoner for questioning before they transferred him to a safe house in the morning, no one batted an eyelid once again.

Merlin, even the black haired man didn't bat an eyelid to Cole's presence in his room until he threw the weapon the man had been wielding previously, one that he'd pilfered with much too ease, at his sleeping form in the corner of the room.

The man jerked awake with a gasp, his head turning this way and that in the darkness as his pathetic human eyes struggled to adjust to the light. But his arms flew around his upright body, encountering the gun before he pulled it against his chest in relief.

And that was the moment Cole picked to emerge into the solitary shaft of moonlight shining into the room. With his hypersensitive eyes, he watched the man swallow as his weapon holding arm snapped out so the rounded end was pointing at him.

Cole merely smiled at the action.

"Who are you? What do you want? Stay back or I'll shoot you!" the man threw out in a hurried blast of words.

Cole's smile widened but his emerald eyes turned colder until they resembled hard diamonds. He took one step forward.

"That's what I'm counting on."

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed or PM'd me wishing me luck in finishing my dissertation! It's all printed out and ready to hand in tomorrow! Thank God! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I think the next time you'll be seeing me now is once I'm back from holiday in July (I know for some of you the wait sounds horrific but at least it's not as long as Deceit- see how every cloud has a silver lining!) As always, thank you for reading and to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Until next time, Curiositykils. _


	25. Chapter 25

_Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling and so have no claim over any names you recognise._

* * *

When the two loud shots rang out in the darkness, Hermione, who had only been asleep for thirty minutes maximum, jolted awake with a gasp. The entire ward seemed to freeze in place, every pair of ears, human and tenebris alike, rising in the air in a bid to sense any possible danger.

When the echoes of the bangs filtered out into the night and silence encompassed the area once again, every able body in the Ward sprang into action.

The first thought that ran through Hermione's mind was that they were under attack again. Questions and scenarios zipped through her mind with the speed of a Snitch.

_Had the crowds just outside of the boundary found some way of breaking through the Wards like the gunman had?_

_How many intruders had passed through the Wards onto the grounds?_

_Had someone been shot? Had someone been killed?_

"Who was that?" she breathed out loud, turning to face an alert Malfoy who was now standing by the side of her bed.

From what Hermione could see, Malfoy's eyes were narrowed, his gaze firmly fixed on the Ward's closed doors as if expecting someone to burst through them at any moment.

"I don't know." He answered in a quiet hush.

Hermione's gaze flew around the room, her eyes unconsciously seeking out Padma. The witch was half propped up in bed, her worried gaze on Blaise who had taken stance in front of her… the vampire guarding his Mate, prepared to protect her from any potential harm at any cost.

In the dim light with his cold eyes and sharpened teeth he looked every inch the predator he now was.

It wasn't until Hermione turned away from him and back to Malfoy that she realised in the time she'd been looking away, the blond had adopted a similar protective stance as Zabini, his broad body now shielding hers. He was standing so close to the edge of her bed that Hermione could barely see anything from behind his body.

Unconsciously seeking comfort and not fully aware of what she was doing until her fingers touched his, Hermione slipped her hand in his. She wasn't sure what Malfoy's reaction would be and was half preparing herself to pull her hand away when his fingers tightened around hers, squeezing securely once in reassurance.

Hermione would be lying if she said she wasn't shocked by the gesture but she accepted it gratefully.

And then the waiting game began. From behind the quiet of Ward's closed doors; she could make out the faint sound of Aurors yelling and their running feet up and down the corridor.

_Dear Merlin, please don't let anyone else be hurt…_

An age seemed to pass before the doors to the Ward were pulled open. Every tenebris one in the large room began panting and growling softly, waiting to attack whoever stepped inside. Hermione's own hand had fisted around her Wand, an offensive curse ready to be spewed at the tip of her tongue.

The curse was swallowed down her throat when Kingsley stepped inside. The wizard's calm, wise eyes took in the occupants of the room and Hermione knew from experience that the man was reassuring himself that everyone in the room was unharmed.

She detected his relief in the way his shoulders slumped slightly but in the next second, his professional Auror persona slid back into place and he strode purposefully over to where Blaise was still standing at the foot of Padma's bed.

Every single step Kingsley took was followed by every pair of eyes in the Ward and when the Auror spoke in hushed words to the vampire, Hermione's curiosity cursed the fact that unlike some of the others in the room, she couldn't hear what Kingsley was saying.

Her eyebrows rose in the next second when Blaise's voice rang out clearly, "No, the meeting will take place here. I will not leave Padma unguarded."

Hermione saw Padma cheeks flush in embarrassment before her lips moved to say something to Blaise, no doubt reassuring her Mate that she would be fine without him but Blaise cut her words off with a stubborn, sharp shake of his head.

Kingsley looked between the pair before he sighed and cast his gaze back around the room. Hermione smiled at him weakly when his eyes fell on her and Malfoy…and then dropped down to their still clasped hands.

Hermione fidgeted uncomfortably when she wasn't able to discern any expression on Kingsley's face. She didn't have to bear his scrutiny for very long however as two five seconds later he'd turned to survey the remainder of the patients in the room. Eventually he called over Healer Johnson and Healer Bentley, the group exchanging hushed words for a full minute before there was an air of general consensus within the group and Hermione watched Healer Johnson and Healer Bentley rush off in opposite directions.

For the next few minutes there were hurried movements around the Ward and Hermione watched the goings on with thinly veiled confusion as the two Healers, along with Heather, began manoeuvring patient's around the room before they were eventually wheeled out of the Ward. In the end, and other than Padma, Hermione was the last patient still remaining in her hospital cot. Healer Johnson and Kingsley walked over to her and she prepared herself to be wheeled out along with the others.

"How are you feeling, Hermione?" Kingsley asked her when he neared.

"Good," she told the wizard, "My side is aching less and less by the minute," she answered truthfully.

"Mr Malfoy." Kingsley greeted as he turned to study the blond.

Malfoy nodded back coolly, no doubt wondering why such a prominent member of the Order of the Phoenix was addressing him so calmly.

Hermione quickly explained. "Kingsley is now the Head of the Auror Department. His Department are the ones who have been responsible for finding the underground laboratories and rescuing the former inmates. He also helped arrange the security of this Manor."

Draco pointedly looked over Hermione's bandaged wound and then back at Kingsley with a raised eyebrow, looking far from impressed at Hermione's words.

Hermione flushed in embarrassment at his silent rebuke but Kingsley remained ever unflappable. "I assure you Mr Malfoy that I will find out how Mr Dubh managed to bypass the extensive wards placed around the Manor in order to gain access and harm your Mate."

Hermione felt Malfoy's hand convulse around hers when Kingsley said the word "Mate" and there was silence for a short second as everyone looked at each other uncomfortably. It was Kingsley who got back to business by clearing his throat and looking back at Hermione.

"There is going to be another meeting behind held in the Ward in ten minutes. If you feel well I would like you to join us."

Hermione nodded her head, her curiosity not allowing her to make any other decision. "Can Malfoy stay too?" she asked in a quick breath.

Kingsley looked silently between the pair before Malfoy took the choice away from him. "I'm staying." He announced firmly, "I'm not leaving Granger's side."

Hermione's fingers tightened in his hold but she kept her eyes on Kingsley.

The wizard nodded, "Although I do hope you understand Mr Malfoy, that what is discussed in the meeting is of upmost confidentiality."

Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Malfoy nod once. Kingsley and Healer Johnson accepted his silent agreement and Hermione watched the duo retreat until her attention was diverted by the doors to the Ward scraping open.

James strode into the room, his red eyes flashing fiercely whilst he pulled along a furious Parvati who was trying in vain to dislodge her wrist from James's manacle like hold. When they reached the other end of the Ward where Padma and Blaise were situated, James _directed_ Parvati to the empty bedside chair and deposited her into it.

His growl of "Sit" and "Stay" were audible even from where Hermione was lying in bed and her eyebrows rose at the order in his tone. They rose even more when Parvati merely sent James a deathly stare but otherwise followed his terse command.

"Merlin, is that Rosier?" she heard Malfoy ask from beside her.

Hermione tilted her head up to him. "You know him?" she asked with a frown.

Malfoy shook his head. "I remember him from Hogwarts. We never really had anything to do with each other since he was in his seventh year when I was in my first but I saw him a few times later..." he said before trailing off.

"…Later?"

Malfoy glanced down at her. "At Death Eater meetings." He stated simply.

Hermione flushed for having not realised what he was talking about. "Oh…"

They didn't say anything else after that and simply watched in silence as more people filtered into the room. In the next few minutes, Hermione's own bed was wheeled over to where the ever increasing group was congregating and she took a moment to ask Padma if she was okay. The witch replied in the positive and Hermione assured her that she too, was well.

And then the meeting started.

A hush fell on the room as Kingsley stood to speak. He got straight to the point.

"The situation has escalated," he began, his words being met with tense looks, "the gunshots you heard a short while ago was from an altercation between tonight's gunman, who we now know to be Mr Tom Dubh, and the tenebris one we rescued recently…the wizard whose DNA has been spliced with dragon DNA."

His words were met with a few gasps and more than one head turned towards the bed where the wizard with emerald eyes had lain since his arrival onto the Ward. Hermione realised with surprise that it was empty…

_Dear Merlin, how had they missed the wizard leaving the Ward?_

Kingsley continued, "I have here a vial containing the memory of the incident, extracted from Mr Dubh who has now been removed from the Manor's grounds and put in a safe house of which only I know the location. I feel it best if everyone here sees the incident first hand."

And with that he uncorked the vial and the memory began to play out in the middle of the Ward.

ooo

The man they now knew to be Mr Tom Dubh jerked awake with a gasp, his head turning rapidly in the darkness, his mind obviously picking up on the danger in the room even if his eyes couldn't yet see it. His hands slowly unclenched from around the duvet and began scrambling around, searching for anything to defend himself with. When they encountered the gun, he snatched it towards his body greedily and Hermione watched as his body trembled with relief.

She watched with a bit lip as the part dragon stepped out from behind the shadows, struggling to control her gasp when she saw the malice in his icy green eyes that were so much like Harry's.

"Who are you? What do you want? Stay back or I'll shoot you!" Mr Dubh burst out even as his body retreated in fear.

The look of cold danger on the dragon's face deepened, "That's what I'm counting on." He said as he slowly continued moving forward.

Mr Dubh's hand shook so badly Hermione wondered if he might accidentally shoot himself. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, hysteria tinging his voice.

Hermione heard the tenebris one scoff, his features tightening to form a terrifying sneer. When he spoke, his voice was soft but mocking. "Why? _Why?_ It's me who should be asking why! It's us who should be asking why. _Why_ do this to us? You're a Muggle," he spat out, "I watched you when you came to see me in the laboratory. Your face would flinch in disgust at what was being done to us. And yet you continued to stand there- you continued to watch them torture us! _Why?!_"

Hermione gasped when a stream of blinding burning fire erupted in a jet like stream from the wizard's mouth. She flinched, raising her arms to unconsciously protect herself all the while watching Mr Dubh do the same as he cowered in the corner of the room, huddled on top of his bed.

The fire extinguished into blackened smoke and Hermione slowly lowered her arms, realising she wasn't the only one who had raised them in a bid to protect her body from the portrayed threat.

She heard Mr Dubh whimper before he began pleading for his life, mumbling out apology after apology.

"Please…please, don't hurt me. Please!"

The dragon walked over to him and with one clenched fist he pulled on the man's jacket until he was lifted cleanly off the cot.

"You do not know the meaning of the word _hurt_." The wizard growled out before unlocking his fingers.

Mr Dubh landed heavily on his knees in front of the wizard. No words were spoken for a few moments, the silence only being broken by the occasional muffled moan coming from Mr Dubh.

"You haven't answered me." The dragon stated.

Mr Dubh lifted his head, his frown and wild eyes showing his panicked confusion.

"…Why?" the tenebris one asked again.

"…M-money." The black haired man managed to choke out.

The dragon scoffed, "I know you did it for money." He spat out in a strained voice as he obviously struggling to remain calm. "I want to know why _they_ did it."

The black haired man whimpered again before answering, "S-Science…Medicine. V-Vampire saliva stops b-bleeding. Wolves h-have a superior sense of smell. Veela- their wings….Y-You with your f-fire. Everything is coded by genes. You would change everything for the Muggle world. You're worth billions of pounds."

"_And they decided that our lives were expendable!_" the part dragon roared.

The second he unleashed his anger, fire burst free from his mouth. The streams of hot flames were much brighter than before and Hermione had to close her eyes to protect her sensitive eyes from the flares. Her exposed skin seared and stung with heat.

When Hermione thought it safe, she slowly re-opened her eyes, taking in the scene in front of her. The dragon was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes closed, fingers tightly clenched into fists at his side as he struggled to regulate his breathing, his nostrils flaring with every intake of breath.

Hermione found herself matching her breathing pattern with the dragon's in support.

She watched closely as he opened up his emerald gaze, took in one last deep breath before opening his mouth. Another stream of fire shot out and the wizard quickly closed his mouth, turning on his heel and walking to the opposite end of the room where he proceeded to punch the stone wall…repeatedly.

Hermione heard loud crack after loud crack and the Healer in her wanted to instantly soothe the pain he must be feeling. She watched with her breath held in her chest as the wizard's broad shoulders shook with strain as the man leaned his forehead onto the rough wall.

"I never wanted this." He whispered.

Hermione's breath was expelled in a soft whoosh when she heard those softly spoken words.

"I never wanted my life to turn out like this... I was going to do my time- then get out and start over. I would have had a life…a family that I would protect. Children that I would never let suffer like I did."

His words were interrupted with another punch to the wall before he spun around stalked back over to Mr Dubh. When he spoke, his words started with a whisper but grew ever louder. "I would have had a wife…but instead, you gave me a Mate I can't even talk to! A Mate who looked at me in the Ward with _pity_ as she healed my broken body."

Hermione gasped as she realised who the dragon was talking about…There was only one other female on the medical staff who was currently "Mate-less"…_Heather!_

"A Mate whose flesh I nearly burnt to crisp when I tried to speak to her! A Mate whose skin I would blister if I touched her!"

Hermione's heart ached at the raw pain she heard in the wizard's voice.

"Because of you I have nothing…I _am_ nothing!"

"Please…please, I'm sorry!"

"Your words are meaningless to me. Your snivelling apologies are worthless. Now stand." He commanded.

It took a few moments for Mr Dubh to comply and when he did so, he extended out his gun, his arm wobbling dangerously.

"Your downfall begins here."

Hermione had barely had enough time to register the ominous words in her ears before the dragon opened his mouth and waves upon waves of flames shot out across the room. In the middle of the burning heat, Hermione heard two loud bangs as the gun went off.

And then the memory disintegrated into a cloud of black smoke.

ooo

A ringing silence rang out in the Ward as every pair of eyes continued to watch the space where the memory had been playing. When it became clear that the recollection really had ended and they wouldn't be seeing more, all eyes looked away uncomfortably.

Hermione fell against her pillows, her mind racing with both questions and awful sadness and pity.

_Dear Merlin, had the dragon just somehow committed suicide? _

The silence was broken when the doors to the Ward were pushed open and an Auror took two stops into the room before coming to halt. Hermione flicked her gaze to Kingsley, in time to see the wizard nod his head once and the Auror took that as approval to step further into the Ward.

Kingsley moved to meet the man half way and Hermione watched curiously as the two exchanged whispers and two black files the Auror had been carrying importantly in his hands. Kingsley studied them both before he shook his head once at whatever he was reading and in the next second, he'd dismissed the Auror.

Hermione kept her gaze on the Head Auror as he walked back to the group. He didn't speak until the doors to the Ward were once again closed.

An eerie hush fell in the room and it was so suppressive that Hermione even stopped fiddling with the edge of the blanket covering her.

"The body of the tenebris one has been transported to St Mungo's to determine his official cause of death."

"-He's dead?" A vampire interjected.

"Shots like that shouldn't have killed him if they only injured me and Malfoy." James said as he nodded once in Malfoy's direction.

"That would be true if Mr Blackthorn was shot at an area of his body covered by his dragon scales…or if he hadn't purposefully manoeuvred his way into a position where the bullets had a direct hit to his heart."

"Mr Blackthorn?" Parvati questioned at exactly the same time as Hermione piped up, "Purposefully?"

Kingsley nodded at them both but he answered Hermione first. "From my first examination of the crime scene and Mr Dubh's memories, it seems evident that had Mr Blackthorn stayed in the same position, the two bullets would have only grazed his arm. Mr Dubh was firing blindly into the smoke, his aim was wildly off target."

A few faces twisted with hate, as if Kingsley was saying that the fact the man had been firing blindly made up for the fact that one of their own- _their kin_- was dead…whether he'd put himself in harm's way on purpose be damned.

Before anyone could voice their opinions, of which Hermione was sure there would be many, Kingsley opened one of the files in his hand and turned his head to Parvati.

"The tenebris one has just been identified as Mr Cole Blackthorn. Age thirty four. He was imprisoned from the age of twenty one for the murder of his father, Mr Damian Brecan."

Hermione's eyebrows rose at the information.

"Why did he murder his father?" Parvati questioned.

Kingsley's eyes skimmed down the file before his fingers twitched slightly at whatever information he'd just read.

It was a few moments before he spoke again, his tone steely when he did, "It is believed that Mr Brecan was sexually abusive to Mr Blackthorn from a young age. The records show Mr Blackthorn leaving home at the age of fifteen, after which he moved in with two other wizards who were in the same house as him at Durmstrang Institute. When he was twenty-one he tracked his father down and used the Unforgivable Curse on him."

Hermione gulped upon hearing the information and she couldn't help the tears that began to sting at her eyes.

_"I would have had a life…a family that I would protect. Children that I would never let suffer like I did."_

Cole's words spoke softly in her mind and she closed her eyes. She jolted when she felt Malfoy's fingers clench around hers in unspoken comfort- _Merlin she hadn't realised she was still holding onto him_. For a few moments her frazzled mind debated on whether she should let go… whether he wanted her to let go.

She loosened her fingers slightly and Malfoy's answering response of contracting his hold on her hand meant she immediately latched back onto him.

"How could he be sent to prison when that _disgusting_ man had been abusing him since he was a child?" Padma demanded to know.

"Regardless of the consequences Miss Patil, Mr Blackthorn took the law into his own hands. He used an Unforgiveable Curse, a spell which when spoken carries a maximum sentence in Azkaban. The Wizengamot was lenient in this case however; Mr Blackthorn was sentenced to only fifteen years in Azkaban."

Something tugged at Hermione's mind and when she'd figured out what it was and quickly did up the Arithmetic, she gasped audibly, "He would have been free…"

All eyes turned her way but Hermione kept her gaze fixed on Kingsley's, "If he hadn't been taken he would have been freed in just over a year."

Kingsley nodded his head once in confirmation.

A tear dropped from the corner of Hermione's eye. The news of Cole's impending freedom made the horror of the situation all the more worse. She felt such sadness at the fact the wizard had felt so helpless he'd been driven to do something like this to himself.

She watched numbly as Kingsley closed Cole's file and shuffled to open the second. Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted to listen to anymore but the inquisitiveness in her couldn't help itself from forcing her to listen intently.

"Minutes after the shooting, Mr Dubh confessed that he isn't the pure Muggle he has been portraying... He is a Squib." Kingsley said calmly.

Hermione's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

Kingsley continued, "Mr Dubh was born to a middle class Wizarding family in Ireland to his parents, a Miss Amelia Cullen and a Mr Jack Rosen, aged sixteen and seventeen respectively. He was given up for adoption at birth but spent his life at the Aingeal Orphanage when it became evident he had no magical ability. On his seventeenth birthday he left and joined the Muggle World after which the Ministry has no records of him…until today that is."

Hermione hated herself for the tingling of empathy she felt for the black haired man. He'd played such a crucial role in making sure the atrocities that were only just now being unearthed remained hidden from all knowledge. He'd been an accomplice in the torture of so many witches and wizards, Malfoy included, and yet she still felt sadness at what his life in the Wizarding World must have been like.

She knew first-hand what it was like being a second class citizen in the Wizarding World and she felt a connection with the man, no matter how much she wanted to refute it.

"What happens now?" Zabini asked in his perpetually neutral toned voice.

Kingsley turned to face the vampire. "As I stated a few minutes ago, the situation has escalated. Before today the charges against anyone apprehended in connection to the underground laboratories was kidnapping and torture, unfortunately now with Mr Blackthorn's death…it is murder."

All air left Hermione's lungs. _Murder…_

"But it was defence…" Parvati stated.

Her words got a harsh response of snarls and angry growls…even James looked more than his usual annoyed at her. Parvati handled the other looks with cool professionalism but she matched James's scowl with a sneer of disgust.

"Don't look at me like that Rosier. We all just saw the evidence first hand. Mr Blackthorn was purposefully goading Mr Dubh with all that fire. _For Merlin's sake_ he even stated that he was counting on the Muggle shooting him!"

Hermione agreed but kept silent. Kingsley spoke before James could lash back.

"Despite your words being true, Mr Dubh can still be tried for complicity to murder. As can all the others apprehended."

Parvati quietened. There was no doubt about the truth behind Kingsley's words.

"He's guilty." A Vampire stated simply.

"For once, I actually agree with a vampire." A werewolf growled out. "The black haired bastard stood by, watching behind the safety of those with wands as they tortured us. He's guilty."

The finality of the sentencing in the wolf's tone caused Hermione to shift uncomfortably. "Has Mr Dubh said anything else? Maybe about whom he was working for?"

Kingsley shook his head. "The man is still in shock. He has also suffered burns on his face and arms which he is currently receiving medical attention for. Once he has been cleared by the Healers, I will conduct his interview at the safe house personally."

"So what happens in the mean time?" Parvati asked.

"Nothing. We will be containing the incident. If the current situation were to reach the ears of the remainder of the Wizarding World, or even the other tenebris ones, any hope of the two species living side by side may be lost. Nothing I have spoken in this room is to be repeated to anyone not currently present."

There were general nods of agreement.

"Have you found out who the breach in security was?" Padma asked.

"My first priority now is seeing to the situation with Mr Dubh. I will be handing over investigations into the breach in security to three trusted Auror's who have so far not been involved with setting up the security for the Manor. They will be carrying out interviews with every staff member, Auror or otherwise, over the next few days."

"Am I not right in assuming that the Aurors took Unbreakable Vows to keep anything to do with the tenebris one's a secret just like we did?" Healer Johnson asked, gesturing both to Healer Bentley and Hermione and Padma.

Hermione jerked her head in Kingsley's direction- she too had made the same assumption. She was shocked when Kingsley shook his head, "All Aurors make a Vow when joining the department that they will do everything in their upmost power, training and magic to protect the Wizarding World."

"And we as Healers made the same Vow to Merlin that we would do everything in our power, training and magic to protect every patient under our care." Healer Bentley blustered out in an affronted tone.

Kingsley was saved from answering when the doors to the Ward opened once again. The same Auror that had stepped in previously did so again and Kingsley motioned for him to speak.

The Auror cleared his throat, "The Healers have cleared Mr Dubh for questioning Auror Shacklebolt."

Kingsley nodded his head once before he turned back to the other members of the meeting, "I am afraid this meeting will have to end here," he stated before glancing between Zabini and James, "I will update the both of you in regards to the situation once I have carried out my interview with Mr Dubh."

Zabini nodded once, his face still blank whilst James nodded stiltedly, his jaw clenching making it obvious he was grinding his teeth together.

As Kingsley walked away from them, Hermione watched the remainder of the occupants of the Ward begin to filter back in. Her eyes caught on familiar lime green robes and her breath hitched in her throat as Heather caught her eye and gave her a small smile which Hermione forced herself to return.

The nurse carried on with her duties, carefully settling in a recently rescued werewolf and Hermione couldn't help wondering…

_Did the witch feel different? Did she sense that something had changed?_ Hermione knew that logically, there was nothing stopping the women from going on with her life- falling in love, getting married and having children- but did she know…deep down… that her Mate- her other half- had just committed suicide?

The thought soured Hermione's mouth. The only thing that grounded her and kept the nausea at bay was Malfoy's thumb absently stroking over the skin on the back of her hand.

Hermione concentrated on the motion and allowed the strokes to lull her back to sleep.

* * *

_Author's Note: So I'm back! I know this update took longer than I'd planned or you'd hoped but I did have a good reason! I burnt the pads of my fingers testing out this new fancy steam iron I bought my mother. Unfortunately the burns made it impossible to type (I even had to take time off work since my fingers were all bandaged up) but the pain has faded to numbness now so I thought I'd take the bandages off and let the skin breathe a little! So apologies for not responding to any reviews or PM's you sent me! But as you can now see- I'm still alive!_

_In other news, I had the most amazing holiday! I officially want to move to Singapore and all you Perthians who made out your hometown to be the worst place to visit in Australia are too hard on your city! There's so much to see in the surrounding area- I managed to pack in loads in the short time I was there! It was amazing!_

_In my second bit of news- I passed my Master's degree with distinction! Yay! I know it seems cheesy but all that hard work did eventually pay off which I'm happy about! Thank God!_

_Back to the world of Harry Potter, if you haven't already read my author's note at the end of Meus Contraho (Chapter 52) please do so and consider donating to the cause (you'll get to see the continuation of the Drunken Stupor Trilogy if you do!)._

_I think that's all for now- as always, thank you so much to everyone who's read and reviewed the fic so far. Until next time, Curiositykils!_


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